True Love
by Agreene
Summary: Kate Denali finds true love with Garrett Parker while she is a student at Seattle U. But the lives her family and friends including herself are put at risk when her ex escapes jail to come after her. Will she ever be free of her ex? All human-No supernaturals in this story
1. New School, New Life

True Love

Chapter One

New School, New Life

A new semester is about to begin at Seattle University. Several buses pull into the parking lot of the university. Several students get off the bus and grab their bags from the luggage compartment of the buses. Kate Denali was one of the students getting off the bus. Kate grabbed her two luggages while carrying her backpack. She walks towards the entrance of the school. Kate stood there looking at her surroundings. She is a transfer student from Miami University. Some might wonder why a student transfers from a university like Miami but Kate has her reasons. She stares at the beautiful campus and realizes she's going to like it here. She smiles a bit thanking god that she wouldn't be found at this school.

A mini-van pulls into the parking lot with music blaring loudly. Kate turned around to see who the car belonged to. A man with dark hair tall stature steps out of the driver side of the car followed by a smaller woman with dark hair. She looked Hispanic. They were followed by two blonds who got out of the back seats of the minivan. Kate recognized them to be her sister and big brother. She smiles happy to see them.

"Thank god we got here." Tanya complained. She's the shorter of the two blonds. She goes to the back to retrieve her two suitcases.

"Safely might I add." Irina the taller of the two blonds adds. She is a freshmen beginning her first year of college while Tanya is beginning her senior year at the university.

"You drive like a maniac Eleazar." Tanya said to her big brother.

"Hey I got you here didn't I?" Eleazer asked as he helped his sisters with their bags.

"Mom said you shouldn't drive so damn fast." Irina said to him.

"Is mom here?" Eleazar asked with a big grin on his face. Tanya and Irina stared at him frowning.

"You did that on purpose." Irina said to him.

"Carmen, I'm gonna kick your husband's ass." Tanya said as Carmen laughed.

"Here are your bags." Eleazar said to them. He stops upon seeing Kate. "Oh my god."

"What?" Carmen asks following his gaze. Tanya and Irina see Kate and smile.

"Kate!" Irina said running over to hug her.

"Irina." Kate says hugging her sister tightly. Irina notices how tight her sister is hugging her.

"Hey sis." Tanya said hugging her after Irina lets Kate go. Tanya notices how tight Kate is hugging her.

"Come here little sister." Eleazar said as Kate hugs him tightly. Eleazar also notices how tightly she's hugging him. "How are you?"

"I'm good." Kate lied. She was happy and relieved to see her family. "Carmen." She said hugging her sister in law.

"How are you sis?" Carmen asks.

"I'm fine. I'm just missing you guys." Kate said.

"Well whose fault is that?" Eleazar asked. Kate rolled her eyes smirking. "You didn't even come home for the summer."

"I told you I wanted to travel for the summer." Kate lied again.

"Still you wouldn't have to miss us if you were home." Irina commented.

"Ok, ok. I get it. I should've come home for the summer. I just wanted to see the world a little that's all." Kate said.

"Well, we're glad to see you." Tanya said. Kate smiled.

"I thought you were attending Miami University?" Carmen asked.

"I transferred. They have a better business course here." Kate lied.

Riley Biers a student at Seattle University stares out into the parking lot. He spots Tanya Denali his girlfriend of three years. He quickly makes his way over to the group.

"Hey guys." Riley said to them.

"Hey baby." Tanya said giving Riley a long lingering kiss.

"How's my girl doing?" He asked smiling.

"I'm fine." Tanya said smiling. Baby you remember my brother Eleazar and his wife Carmen?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah, hey man what's up?" Riley said shaking Eleazar's hand.

"Hey how's it going?" Eleazar smiled politely as he returned the gesture.

"Carmen hi." Riley said shaking her hand.

"Hi." Carmen responds smiling.

"You remember my kid sisters Kate and Irina." Tanya said re-introducing them to her boyfriend.

"Hey ladies." Riley said shaking their hands.

"Hey." Kate said.

"Riley, my sister won't tell me but are there any hot guys on campus?" Irina asked. Riley smiled nervously then glances at Eleazar. The group is silent. "What?" she asked clueless.

"You better behave understood?" Eleazar asked pulling the big brother card.

"Oh stop, I'm always good." Irina said as they laughed.

Heading towards the dormitories are Laurent Dubois and Garrett Parker. Both have been friends since their freshmen year of college. Both road back to campus together. They found out that they don't live too far from each other. Laurent was babbling on about his summer when Garrett stopped in his tracks.

"What?" Laurent asked.

"Look in the parking lot." Garret said to him.

"Hey Tanya's back. So is Riley." Laurent said.

"Who are the blonds with them?" Garrett asked focusing on Kate.

"I don't know but they are hot?" Laurent said.

"You can say that again." Garrett said. He stared at Kate. She was a vision of beauty to him.

"Looks like someone's been bitten by the love bug." Laurent teased smiling. Garrett looked over at him and smirked.

"Come on man it's not like that. I don't even know her." Garrett defended himself.

"But you want to get to know the pretty blond?" Laurent said as Garrett continued to stare at Kate. Garrett doesn't respond causing Laurent to laugh. "Come on, we gotta make sure our rooms are still intact." Laurent said. Garrett hadn't heard a word he said. He was too busy staring at Kate. Laurent smiles at him. "Come on man." He said as he and Garrett turned and continued towards the dorms. Garrett turns his head back for another glance at Kate. The guy is in love.

"Ok. Girls off you ok." Eleazar said to them. He hugs them. Carmen hugs them before getting in the passenger seat of the car. "I will see you guys for the holidays right Kate?" He asked looking at her. Tanya and Irina were smirking.

"Of course." Kate said smirking.

"Good. See you girls." Eleazar said to them. "Riley take care of my sisters."

"You got it man." Riley said as Eleazar got into the driver side of the car and pulls off. "Ok ladies, how bout I help you with your bags?"

"Please." Irina said smiling as she grabbed her other suit case with her backpack.

"Thank you hon." Tanya said to him as he grabbed her other back while she took the remaining two.

"Need help Kate?" He asked her.

"No thanks. I got it." Kate said as they made their way towards the main building to be registered. Once Kate and Irina got registered, they are assigned to their dormitories. Irina is assigned to the same dorm as Tanya while Kate is assigned to building three. That would be to the left of the main building. Another student took Kate along with several others to dormitory building three.

Kate stepped into her new room. She looks around liking the surroundings. To the far left of the room is where the bed is by the window along with the nightstand. To her far left is the huge bathroom. Right next to her is the closet where she'd undoubtedly put her clothes in. Next to the night stand is where the student desks are. Every room has one. Kate is lucky because the last person who occupied this room left their 32 inch flat screen TV along with the entertainment center. She smiled to herself and realized she wouldn't have to go out and buy a TV. She placed her bags down and began to unpack. She hears a knock at the door.

"Come in." Kate said without looking.

"I thought that was you." Came the voice of a petite young woman. Kate looks up and smiles recognizing that of her cousin Alice Cullen.

"Alice." Kate said.

"Kate." Alice squeals happily as the two cousins embrace in a tight hug. Alice noticed this immediately.

"It's so good to see you cous." Alice said smiling.

"It's good to see you to." Kate responds smiling.

"My friends and I are heading to orientation. I'll come and get you in twenty minutes and we can go together." Alice said.

"Cool." Kate responds smiling. Alice leaves the room to let Kate finish unpacking. Kate had taken her clothes and placed them in the drawers. Then she hung up her jeans and placed her shoes on the floor in the closet. She also hung up her sweaters and jackets in the closet as well. Kate then fixed her bed up so it would be comfortable to sleep in. She wasn't one carried a lot of stuffed animals but she had three that he kept near and dear to her. One was bear that her father had gotten her when she was five. That bear was old but well preseved. The second stuffed animal was a tiger that her nephe Eli had gave her for birthday. He didn't have money so he gave her his stuffed tiger. The last stuffed animal was an elephant given to her by Marlene her best friend from Miami. It's suppose to be good luck. She glanced at her photo album. She opened the album and began looking through it. There are photos of her and her family. She smiled at the pictures of her sisters. There was one of Irina with her thumb in her mouth. Kate had taken that one as a joke she and Tanya pulled on Irina. Kate had gotten one of Tanya in the park. She took one of Eleazar making goofy faces at her. There's one of Kate by herself smiling. There's another photo of all four siblings smiling. Another one of their parents smiling. One of the entire family taken during a family trip. There's another of her and her friends from Miami. Kate smiles as she turns the page. Her smile disappears as she stares at a picture of her and her ex-boyfriend. She frowns at the picture. The young man in that picture has short brown hair, brown eyes and a gotee. Her eyes lingered on the picture. The couple in the picture looks happy but all was not what it appeared to be. Kate hadn't noticed Alice come in the room.

"Hey." Alice said loud enough pulling Kate from her thoughts. Kate looks up at her. "We're heading to Orientation now. Come on."

"Ok." Kate said as Alice glances at the picture.

"Who's that?" Alice asked curiously.

"Uh no one important." Kate said smiling as she shut her photo album. She grabbed her pink sweatshirt. Both girls left Kate's room. "So where is orientation being held?" Kate asked.

"In the auditorium like always." Alice said to her. Both girls come upon two young ladies who are waiting by the door for them. "There they are." Alice said smiling.

"Who?" Kate asked.

"My two home girls." Alice said to her.

"About time." The blond commented. Alice frowned lightly. "What took you so long?"

"Girls I'd like you to meet my cousin Kate Denali. Kate this is Bella Swan and the blond who has no patience what so ever is Rosalie." Alice said as Rosalie rolled her eyes. Kate smiled at them.

"It's nice to meet you girls." Kate said shaking their hands.

"Nice to meet you to Kate." Bella said.

"Denali, you wouldn't be related to Tanya would you?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes. She's my older sister. In fact Irina is here to." Kate adds.

"Irina?" Alice asked shocked.

"Yep. She's a freshmen." Kate said.

"Come on we better get going before the boys snag the best seats." Bella said as the four girls left the dormitory and headed for the auditorium.

"God I hope Mr. Aikman isn't doing orientation this year." Rosalie said.

"Who's Mr. Aikman?" Kate asked.

"He works in the admissions department." Bella said. "He was a former high school football coach."

"He thinks he's related to Troy Aikman the former quarterback for the Cowboys." Rosalie said as the girls laughed. "It's pathetic. Last year he talked about goals and uses Troy Aikman as his analogy."

"Oh god." Alice said. "He's so weird." Alice said as they all laughed. They enter the building of the auditorium for Orientation.

"Hey cous." Came the big booming voice of a male figure. Tanya turns around already in the auditorium. She sees her cousins Emmett and Edward Cullen.

"Hey there big man." Tanya said hugging him. "Eddie." She said calling Edward by his knick name. She hugs him. "How are you two?"

"We're good. How you doing?" Edward asked.

"Doing well." Tanya said.

"So I hear that Irina goes to school hear now?" Emmett asked.

"Yes and Kate is here to." Tanya said. Emmett and Edward stared at her shocked.

"Wait Kate? Is here?" Edward asked.

"Yes." Tanya said.

"Wasn't she at Miami U last year?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah but she transferred. She's starting her junior year here." Tanya explained.

"Cool." Emmett said.

"Speaking of the little sis, here they come now." Tanya said.

"I see she found Alice." Edward comments as Emmett and Tanya laugh. They watch Alice, Bella, Kate and Rosalie walk up to the group.

"Hey guys." Alice said.

"Well, well if it isn't little Katie Denali." Emmett teases. Kate chuckles.

"Hi Emmett." Kate said as he hugs her tightly. "Hey Edward." She said pulling him into a hug.

"How are you?" Edward asked.

"I'm fine." Kate said to him. She smiled even though she was tired of being asked that question.

"Hey what am I chopped liver?" Irina can be heard complaining in the background.

"Come here you." Alice said pulling her into a hug. She was followed by Emmett and Edward. "Bella, Rosalie, this is Tanya and Kate's baby sister Irina."

"It's nice to meet you girls." Irina said smiling.

"Same here." Rosalie said to her smiling. "You're the little sister?" she asked smiling.

"I know I'm like the tallest of the three of us." Irina said to them. "They're like my shorties." She said as the group laughed.

"Hey baby." Jasper said as he sneaks up behind Alice.

"Hey hon." Alice said. "Baby, this is Tanya's sisters Kate and Irina."

"Hey, Jasper." Jasper said introducing his self.

"Hi Kate." Kate introduced herself shaking his hand.

"Rosalie and Jasper are twins." Alice informed them.

"Cool." Kate said aloud.

"Hi there." Irina said smiling flirtingly.

"Hands off cous, he's my man." Alice said pulling Jasper into her as the group laughs.

"So Allie, got a question for you." Irina asked.

"What's that?" Alice asked.

"Irina don't go there please." Tanya said to her.

"Where are the hot guys?" Irina asked. Bella and Rosalie chuckled. Emmett and Edward smirked. Tanya sucked her teeth. Alice was smirking.

"Is that why dad and mom are paying for school?" Kate asked.

"Listen I can get an education and fuck at the same time." Irina defended herself causing laughter amongst the group.

"Irina your mouth." Tanya scolded her sister.

"Tanya your mouth." Irina taunted back. The group laughed again. Tanya gave Irina a stern look. Kate wasn't amused but smirked anyway.

Riley, walks into the auditorium with Laurent and Garrett at his sides. He stops looking around to see if he spots his girlfriend. He spots her with her cousins Emmett, Edward and Alice. With them are Rosalie, Bella, Irina and Kate. Garrett spots Kate in the group. So does Laurent.

"Hey Garrett there goes your crush." Laurent teases smiling.

"Come on man." Garrett said.

"What are you talking about?" Riley asked confused.

"Well you see the two blonds with Tanya?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah." Riley said.

"Our friend has a crush on the one on the left." Laurent said to him.

"You mean Kate." Riley asked.

"That's her name?" Garrett asked.

"Yeah. The other one is Irina." Riley told them.

"How do you know them?" Lauren asked.

"They're her sisters. I met them before when I was at Tanya's home in Alaska. Oh and they also have a big brother name Eleazar. He's as tall as Garrett here." Riley said smirking. Laurent stared at him a little worried. Garrett hadn't heard a word he said. He's too busy eye humping Kate. All three make their way over to the group. "There you are my little lady."

"Hey baby." Tanya said pulling him into a kiss. "Laurent, Garrett what's up?"

"Nothing much. Who are these two lovely beauties?" Laurent said as Irina blushed.

"My sisters Kate and Irina." Tanya said.

"Hey Irina." Laurent said taking her hand in his and kissing it. "I'm Laurent." He said smoothly.

"Hi." Irina said blushing.

"Good god." Tanya commented as the others laughed. Riley notices Garrett continuing to stare at Kate who smiles politely.

"And this tall doofus here is my buddy Garrett." Riley said as the group laughed.

"Hi." Garrett said nervously.

"Hi." Kate responds just as nervous. Everyone standing there could see the instant attraction between the two.

"Kate right?" Garrett asks.

"Yes. Garrett right?" Kate asks. Garrett nods as they shake hands.

"Alright students take your seats. Orientation will begin shortly." A booming voice can be heard over the loud speaker.

Edward and the others all filed into their seats in the back. At the far right are Edward and Bella. Next to them are Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. In the seats behind them are Riley, Tanya, Kate, Irina, Laurent and Garrett. Orientation began moments later and lasted about two hours. The new students were given information about the dorms, campus life, curfew, classes, etc. The students who are returning to campus for another semester were given updates on the things going on around the campus. During orientation, Garrett couldn't help but look over at Kate. She catches him looking at her and smiles back at him.

Once orientation was over, the group walked around the campus. Tanya wanted to show her sisters around campus. Garrett trailed behind them. Laurent was ogling Irina staring at her ass. She looked back and flashed a sexy smile. Laurent smiled back flirting shamelessly. Edward had his arm around Bella's shoulder while they walked around campus with Tanya and Riley leading the way. Riley was in the middle between Tanya and Kate who had their arms draped around his. Irina held onto Kate as they walked around campus. Emmett had his arm around Rosalie. Jasper did the same with Alice. Garrett continued staring at Kate. He was in love. He hadn't felt this way about another female in so long. Every time he was near her his heart skipped ten beats. If he was going to be with Kate, he would need to start speaking to her.

The group ended up at the local café in town. They picked a booth and sat down. Seated at the table are as followed: Edward, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Riley, Tanya, Kate Laurent, Irina and Garrett.

"I love this place." Tanya said.

"Oh yeah?" Kate asks.

"Yeah. They serve the best burgers here." Tanya said.

"I thought you were a vegetarian?" Emmett asks.

"Only when you cook." Tanya said as the group laughs.

"Haha. I can cook." Emmett defends himself.

"Baby, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches isn't considered cooking ok?" Rosalie said to him. The group laughs again. Emmett smirks.

"I can cook." Emmett said.

"Em, I've tasted your cooking." Bella said to him. "You should follow the cook book. It's helps." She said as the group continued to laugh.

"Hey do you remember when we spent Christmas in Hawaii?" Edward asks to Tanya and Kate. Both nodded. "Emmett and Irina tried to make Hawaiian burgers?" The group laughs agin.

"What?" Riley asked smiling.

"What a minute. What the hell are Hawaiian burgers?" Laurent asked as they laughed.

"They're made with fruits and meat." Irina said. They stared at her with their faces turned up. "What their good burgers. Tell them Emmett."

"She's right dude, you gotta try them." Emmett said to them.

"Those burgers tasted nasty." Alice said.

"Edward called them booger burgers." Kate adds as they all laughed.

The waitress came over and took their orders. Edward ordered the veggie burger with fries and a strawberry smoothie. Bella ordered the garden burger with fries and a diet coke. Emmett ordered a bacon cheese burger with a pepsi. Rosalie ordered a veggie beef pattie with cheese and onion rings. Emmett tried to eat off her plate and she smacked his hand away. Jasper ordered chicken sandwich wrap and a diet coke. Alice ordered a chicken salad with a Snapple tea. Riley ordered a cheese burger with fries and a coke. Tanya ordered the same thing and both shared each other's food. Kate ordered a garden burger with fries and chocolate smoothie. Irina ordered a garden salad with a vanilla smoothie. Laurent ordered chicken sandwich with onion rings. Garrett ordered last. He ordered chicken fajita with a chocolate smoothie.

"Where did you guys spend the summer?" Jasper asked. His question directed at Emmett, Edward and Alice.

"We spent our summer in the Bahamas." Alice said.

"Mom and dad thought it would be fun to bring the entire family." Edward adds.

"Did Carlisle and Esme bring the kids?" Tanya asked.

"Carlisle and Esme?" Laurent asked.

"Carlisle is our older brother. Esme is his wife." Alice adds.

"And they have three boys." Edward said to them.

"The little rugrats pushed me into the water." Emmett said as the group laughed.

"By the way Carlisle asked about you three." Alice said.

"Oh yeah." Irina asked.

"Yes. He says we should all get together for the weekend. I think he wants to leave the kids with Esme's parents." Alice said to her.

"Good." Emmett said as the others laughed.

"How did you two spend your vacation?" Edward asked.

"Rose and I traveled to London England." Jasper said to the group.

"Who lives out in London?" Alice asked.

"We have an aunt and uncle who live in England. We got to see a lot of places. It was amazing." Rosalie said.

"Cool." Emmett said.

"What about you Bells?" Jasper asked.

"My parents and I went to Sydney Australia." Bella said.

"We've been there." Tanya said. "Isn't it beautiful?" She asked Bella.

"It was so amazing." Bella said smiling. "I can't wait to go back there."

"What did aunt Sasha have you three doing this past summer?" Emmett asked.

"Well, we were home. Dad was working and had gotten sick." Irina said.

"Yeah so we stayed home to take care of him." Tanya said. Kate stared at her.

"Dad was sick?" Kate asked worried.

"Yes." Tanya said to her. She could see the concerned worried look on her face. "Don't worry he's fine now." Tanya noticed her face and felt for her sister. She had no idea that Kate was dealing with her own issues that's why she couldn't come home.

"You would've known that had you come home for the summer." Irina said as Kate stared daggers at her. Irina knew Kate was looking at her so she didn't look in her direction. Kate looked away a little hurt by that. "What did you do for the summer Rye?"

"I spent it with my uncle in Denver. We went to see the Nuggets play and I helped him work on his sports car. It was cool." Riley said. "He's been like a father to me since my dad left me so I really look up to him." Tanya rubbed his arm as they continued to eat their food.

"Well my family and I spent the summer in France." Laurent said.

"Your family is from there right?" Riley asked.

"No they are from Africa but they immigrated to France. I came to this country when I was about three." Laurent said to them.

"Can you speak French fluently?" Irina asked.

"Yes I can." Laurent responds.

"Say something in French." Irina asked.

"Vous estes une femme tres belle." Laurent said perfectly. Irina smiled.

"What did you say?" Riley asked.

"I said you are a very beautiful woman." Laurent said smoothly. Irina giggled like a little school girl. The others laughed.

"Nice." Riley said high fiving Laurent smiling. "What about you Garrett, how did you spend your summer vacation?" Riley asked.

"I visited my sisters in California." Garrett said to the group.

"How many sisters do you have?" Kate asked. Garrett turned to face her. It's the first time she spoke to him since introducing themselves earlier.

"Three. I'm the youngest of five. I have an older brother who was out of the country over the summer." Garrett said. "It was fun. I got to hang out with my nephews and niece." He added. Kate stared at him smiling. Tanya and the others noticed this. So did Garrett. He smiled. Kate quickly turned her head.

"So Kate, why did you transfer from Miami?" Emmett asked. This caught Kate off guard. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about the reason for leaving Miami.

"It's complicated." Kate said as the group looked at her. She looked back down at her food.

"I don't get it." Irina said. Kate looked up at her annoyed. "Miami is such a beautiful place, filled with beautiful people."

"No sis, you're thinking of California." Tanya said to her as the group laughed.

"Miami has beautiful people there to. I don't understand why you'd transfer away from that school." Irina said to her. Kate doesn't respond.

"I just don't want to talk about it." Kate said to them. Tanya looked away. She knew something was up.

"So how did you spend your summer?" Alice asked.

"She didn't come home that's for sure." Irina said to her.

"Ok Irina, I get it. I just needed time to myself. I had just broken up with…" Kate said then stopping herself. Everyone watched her. She knew she was about to say something that she'd already said she didn't want to talk about. "Look, I just needed to be alone. To answer your question Alice, I just traveled to several places. None I want to mention." Katie said to her. Irina felt bad. She hadn't considered Kate's feelings. She never thought Kate could've been going through something and was the reason she stayed away.

"I'm sorry sis." Irina said to her.

"It's cool." Kate said to her pulling Irina in a hug.

Garrett watched her realizing that she's had her heart broken by another guy. May be he can heal her broken heart.

The day had ended on a good note for Kate. She had finished fixing her room up the way she wanted. Her desk was a bit a naked. She had placed her desk top computer on top of the desk along with the printer. She was pretty handy in putting the computer together. Her computer will come in handy when she needs to study. Once the computer was put up, Kate had finished putting her pictures of her friend Marlene from Miami along with family photos. She had showered and got ready for bed. She had books for the courses she'd be taking. She glanced at her class schedule. She had history, Literature and marketing. Three classes tomorrow and then she had the afternoon free to do a little more shopping for room. She smiled. She glanced at her pictures of her and her ex-boyfriend Royce. She was glad to have him out of her life. He was a sick fuck who treated her poorly and almost ended her. No she didn't want any memory of a man who would hurt a woman. She frowned taking the pictures and throwing them out.

Kate's mind took her to the tall handsome stranger that she met and hung out with earlier. Garrett was his name. She thought he was so sexy in an alluring way. He has the kind of looks that could melt a woman's heart and give her butterflies in her stomach at the same time. It helped that had facial hair. That's a sign of maturity in Kate's eyes and she loved a man with facial hair. He seemed like a nice guy. So was Royce until he changed. Kate frowned at that negative thought. She can't compare Garrett to Royce. First off, she didn't know Royce was a bad guy until she started dating him. Second she just met Garrett and didn't know that much about him. Lastly, it wasn't fair to Garrett to compare him to a sick sadistic asshole like Royce. All these thoughts clouded her head. It was time for bed. Kate turned off the light and climbed in bed.


	2. Safe

True Love

Chapter Two

Safe

Kate had gotten up early to make sure she was ready for her first class. She was still getting use to the campus surroundings. She grabbed her backpack with her note pads and pens in it. She's wearing black jeans, with a black t-shirt and her black flats. Her hair is falls hanging down to her shoulders. She left dorm heading towards the main building. She entered the classroom along with several other students. The professor comes in through the side door. Kate looked up to see a gentleman staring at her. The gentlemen in question is Garrett. He smiled at her. She smiled back. She was shocked to see him in that class. She hadn't realized Garrett was a history buff. She'd have to ask him about that later on. The professor began his history lesson. Garrett paid attention but would often look in Kate's direction.

"_Wow. Kate looks amazing this morning. I'm definitely gonna talk to her today." _Garrett thought to himself. No doubt about it. The guy is in love.

Making his way through the library, Laurent is looking for a study guide for his law class. He had gotten up pretty early to attend his first pre-law class. He and Rosalie are in the same pre-law class and would be each other's study partner. He needed to find the right book to study from. He finds the book near the back of the library and skims through it smiling. He turns to go pay for the book when he spots a young woman standing there looking over a book. He recognized the woman to be Irina Denali. He smiled staring at the tall beauty. He found Irina very attractive. He smirked staring at her firm body. She had the best pair of legs he's ever seen. Her ass is plumped just right. She's wearing a black mini skirt showing off her shapely thighs. She had on black flats because she was five feet eight inches tall and didn't need heels. She's also wearing a black blouse on. Laurent was definitely noticing her. Irina's hair was pulled back into a bun. She looked stunning to Laurent. She had her back to him so she didn't know he was watching her. Deciding not continue eye-humping Irina, Laurent decides to speak.

"Ahem." He said casually. Irina turns to see the smiling Laurent standing behind her. She smiles at him. "Hey beautiful." He said smoothly.

"Hey handsome." Irina said smiling. "Didn't see you there." She said to him.

"But I saw you." Laurent said to her.

"You enjoying the show?" She asked him.

"Oh yeah." Laurent flirted smiling.

"So why are you here in the library so early?" Irina asked.

"I had a pre-law class and was getting a study guide." Laurent told her.

"Isn't Rosalie in that class?" Irina asked remembering that is her cousin's girlfriend's major.

"Yep. We're study buddies." Laurent said. Irina smiled. She liked Laurent's smile. She thought he was so sexy. He was wearing black jeans which Irina was focused on. He was wearing black slacks with a white dress shirt and his hair is cut short. She wondered if that myth about black guys was true. She herself wasn't a racist and got along with just about anyone. To her guys were guys. It didn't matter where they came from. "What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked smirking.

"What's your major?" He asked her.

"Social Work." She said to him. Laurent looked on surprised.

"Didn't know you wanted to work in that field." Laurent said to her.

"Yeah, I like to help people so I was thinking that getting into the social services field will help." Irina said. "Either that I'd get into fashion somehow." She said to him.

"You wanna go grab a coffee and talk?" Laurent asked.

"Sounds good." Irina said as she grabbed the book she needs for her class and headed to the front of the library. Both paid for their books before leaving together.

At the local café on campus, Tanya is seated at a booth with Bella, Alice and Rosalie. The four women are about to enjoy breakfast together. Rosalie had an early pre-law class with Laurent and was starving. Bella had a drama class while Alice had her first teaching class. Tanya had her first crack at giving a needle to a test dummy in her pre-med class. Edward had made fun of her for it. Both did a good job though and was praised by their professor. All four ladies had just sat down and are about to order.

"I'm so hungry I can eat a whole pig." Rosalie said.

"Be careful not to eat like one." Alice comments as Bella and Tanya chuckle. Rosalie glares at her smirking.

"Anyways, I'm loving my pre-law class. You'll never guess who's in my class?" Rosalie said.

"Who?" Alice asked.

"Laurent Du Boise." Rosalie said.

"Oh I knew that." Tanya adds.

"Really?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. He's been wanting to take that class for a long time but it was always full so he took other classes dealing with the legal system." Tanya said.

"Well he's smart. We're going to be study buddies." Rosalie said smiling.

"I think that is so cool." Alice said. "It's good to have a friend in the same class as you."

"It makes it that much easier to pass the class." Bella said. They agreed. Tanya looked out the window. Alice could tell something was wrong. The waitress comes over to their table.

"Hey ladies can I take your orders?" The waitress asked.

"I'll have vegetable omelet with home fries and a tea." Bella asked.

"I'll have the same." Alice said.

"I'll have scrambled eggs, bacon, hash brown and coffee please." Rosalie said.

"Make that two." Tanya adds.

"Ok coming right up." The waitress said politely. She turns and heads back into the kitchen to place the orders.

"What's on your mind Tanya?" Alice asked.

"What?" Tanya asked. She hadn't heard the question.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Rosalie asked.

"Well, I'm glad to have my baby sisters here with me attending the same college." Tanya said.

"But?" Bella asked.

"But, I'm worried about Kate." Tanya said looking at the table as if it had become interesting.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"Well Kate doesn't seem like herself. She's been acting weird." Tanya told her.

"How is she acting weird?" Bella asked.

"Well for one thing Kate hugged me so tight when we saw each other in the parking lot yesterday. She hugged me as if she'd never see me again. It was weird. She's never hugged me like that before." Tanya said to them. Alice thought about that for a moment. It did sound a little out of character for Kate. Kate wasn't known as the mushy type. Rosalie and Bella didn't know what to think. They didn't know Kate the way Tanya and Alice did. "Then she doesn't talk about where she was all summer. Meanwhile my dad was sick and she was gone. We didn't even have a way to contact her. Who does that?" She asked a little angered.

"Kate was about to reveal something but stopped. Then she said she didn't want to talk about it. That's not like her." Alice said.

"I know that's why I'm worried about her." Tanya said. She sighed.

"It sounded like she may have broken up with her boyfriend and that's what's got her acting weird." Bella said.

"No. If you suffer a broken heart then you go to friends and family for comfort. You don't take a trip someplace and not contact your family." Rosalie said.

"True." Alice said. "I understand what you mean."

"I think something happened to Kate and she won't say what it is." Tanya adds.

"Well whatever it is, we can't speculate unless she tells us." Bella said.

"Bella's right. Until we know what's going on with Kate, we shouldn't think about it." Alice said. Tanya nods agreeing.

"It helps that they both attend this college. You can keep an eye on them." Rosalie said.

"Especially Irina. That girl's got a one track mind." Tanya said.

"Yeah boys." Alice said as they giggled.

"Ok where is my breakfast? I'm starving over here." Rosalie complained. Alice, Bella and Tanya laughed. Moments later the waitress brought their food out. "Finally." She said as they all began eating. Tanya glanced out the window thinking about her kid sister. Alice could tell Tanya's mind wondered back to Kate. She understood why she worried for her sister. It's similar to her worrying about Emmett, Edward and Carlisle. She knew Tanya would watch over Kate. Seeing as though she and Kate on the same dorm, she'd keep an eye on her cousin as well.

Garrett is walking towards his dorm when he spots a beautiful woman sitting on a bench reading her history book. It was Kate sitting at that very bench. Garrett watched her for a moment. She was so beautiful to him. He couldn't help but noticed the young lady. He liked everything about her. He liked the way her long blond hair blew about in the wind, the way she crossed her legs, the way she smelled, the fact that she has a big brain. Her chest stood out to him to. Garrett admired every inch of Kate and hoped to one day explore her. He loved the fact that in class she answered a lot of the questions the history professor threw at them. She was smart and that in itself was a turn on to him. She looked amazing sitting there going over her book and making sure her notes were perfect. She looked especially cute in her glasses. After eye groping her for what seemed like an eternity, Garrett makes his way over to her.

"Hey beautiful." Garrett said boldly. The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Kate smiled at the comment.

"Hey handsome." Kate responds teasingly. Garrett smiles. "I saw you in class. I didn't know you were a history buff."

"I could say the same for you." Garrett said to her. Both smiled clearly attracted to each other. "You know the semester just started, you don't have to read the whole book." Garrett said teasing her.

"I know. I'm just going over the chapter and my notes." Kate said to him. "It's the assignment remember?" She asked.

"Yeah. Speaking of the assignment, I was wondering if you wanted to work on it together?" He asked her. She looked at him smiling. She could tell he was nervous about asking her. "We could be study partners. What do you say?" He asked.

"Sure." Kate said to him. It didn't hurt to have a study partner. Besides, she wanted to get to know Garrett and she knew he wanted to spend time with her so this was perfect. His smile widen.

"I have another class in an hour. Can we talk later?" Garrett asks her.

"Ok." Kate said softly.

"Later." Garrett said walking off slowly.

"Bye." She said smiling. Kate watched the young tall handsome guy walk off. She was definitely attracted to him. What stood out was the fact that he called her beautiful and asked her permission to see her later. Her ex hadn't done that. He demanded to see her. He called her pretty. Pretty isn't such a bad word but it was the way he said it. He called her pretty as if she wasn't hot enough for him and that if someone else hotter had come along he would've dump her. Garrett meanwhile wasn't like that. She smiled and went back to reading her book.

In a maximum security prison located in Miami Florida, criminals can be seen coming and going about their daily routine. One inmate especially is going about his daily routine. He's in his cell doing pushups thinking about the day he can escape this hell hole. He didn't care that he's there. All he cared about was carrying out his plan to kill his ex-girlfriend. The bitch had put him in prison. It was her fault that he beat her up. She deserved it. She hadn't listened to him. She abandoned him like some others had. He wasn't having that. No that bitch must die. As soon as he was able to find a way to get to her, her ass was his. For the time being, he'd keep his head down, his mouth shut and keep to himself. When the time was right, he'd make his escape. He stopped doing pushups and stared at the photo before him. He frowned hard squeezing the picture in his hand.

"Lunch time line up." A booming voice can be heard. One of the security guards informed the inmates that it's time to eat another meal. He lined up with all the inmates and proceed to the cafeteria to eat while in the back of his mind trying figure out how he was going to escape.

The football team gets in its first practice before they play their first game of the season. Amongst the players on the team are Edward, Emmett, Riley, Jasper, Laurent and Garrett. Edward is a wide receiver, Emmett is an offensive linemen, Riley is a wide receiver, Jasper is a kicker, Laurent is wide receiver and Garrett is a quarterback. The coach watched as Garrett moves like a cat away from a potential tackle then throws the ball 40 yards to Edward near the endzone. He repeated this motion about ten times. The coach found Garrett to be an exceptional football player. The guy has a cannon for an arm and is quick in getting away from the opposing team's defensive linemen. He knew he had a star in the making. Once practice was over, the guys hit the showers and are getting redressed into their street clothes.

"Practice was amazing. Garrett, that arm of yours will win us another championship." Laurent said to him patting him on the shoulder while dressing. Garrett smirks.

"I can't wait to get out there for our first game. It's going to be amazing." Emmett said to the group excitedly.

"Me neither." Riley said. "With our lightning legs, and Garrett's canon arm, this will be an easy season for us." He said as the others laughed. He referred to Edward, Laurent and himself when it came to receiving the ball. All three were very fast.

"You got that right." Edward said as the group high fived each other.

"Yo Edward, your cousin Irina." Laurent said to him. Edward and Emmett looked up.

"She's so hot. She wants me." Laurent bragged. They all smiled.

"Be careful with our little cousin man." Edward said.

"Yeah, I don't need her big brother kicking our asses." Emmett said to him.

"Or mine. I promised him that I'd look after his sisters." Riley said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm a treat her like a lady. If she wants to get a little freaky, well…" Laurent said smirking.

"Ok see I didn't need to hear that." Riley said as they laughed.

"Speaking of sisters, Garrett have you asked the lovely Kate Denali out yet?" Laurent asked.

"I'm working on it." Garrett responds.

"What the hell does that mean?" Riley asked.

"Well we're in the same class so I asked her to be my study buddy." Garrett told them.

"Wow." Laurent said sarcastically. The others laughed. "What are you gonna do next carry her books?" He asked as Garrett smirked. The others laughed.

"I'm taking it slow with her." Garrett said.

"Garrett admit it dude, you've got it bad for Kate." Emmett asked smirking.

"Yeah I'm love with your cousin. I can't help it. She's hot. She's beautiful." Garrett said as they stared at him while he put on his shoes. Garrett was fully dressed now. "I'm gonna take my time with her." He said to them. "Speak of which, I have to go find her. We have an assignment to work on." He said smiling. "See ya fellas." He said before taking off.

"Late bro." Laurent said smirking continuing to get dressed.

Kate found herself at the library. She hadn't gotten the opportunity to go shopping like she planned but there's still tomorrow. She had her literature book sitting on the table in front of her going over the chapter that was covered in her first literature class this morning. She was finding it difficult to concentrate on her studies. Her mind took her back to her ex. The way he treated her was cruel, downright abusive. The fact that the abuse escalated from name calling to physical assaults. Kate found herself fidgeting in her seat trying to shake those thoughts away. But the images were coming in flashes. She found herself crying. The image of her ex punching her to the face caused Kate to jump out her seat. Some of the students in the library watched her as she looked around at her surroundings. She realized she was in the library. Kate ran to the ladies rest room. She stood over the sink crying. The abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend caused her great pain. It wasn't that long ago when he put her in the hospital. She hadn't heard Alice come into the bathroom. Alice had watched her wondering if she was ok. When she saw Kate run to the ladies room, she realized something was wrong.

"Kate." Alice asked. Kate realized it was Alice calling her and splashed water on her face. She took a paper towel and attempted to wipe her face, but the tears kept coming. Alice came up behind her. "Kate, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." Kate said.

"You're not alright. What's wrong?" Alice asked.

"I'm just dealing with a break up. It's got me upset." Kate lied. The truth was she was still blaming herself for what happened to her and it bothers her.

"Come here." Alice said holding her arms out. Kate moves towards her and is pulled into a tight hug. "It's ok." She said soothingly as Kate cried on her shoulder. Alice rubbed her back comforting Kate who had her guard up until this point "I'm here." She said comforting her cousin. Kate slowly pulls away. "You ok?" Alice asks.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks." Kate said wiping the tears away from her face. "I'm fine. It's just that breakups are hard is all." She said wiping more tears from her face. Alice watched her a moment. She realized there was more going on then met the eye but she wasn't going to pry until she's ready to talk.

"Breakups are tough but you can't let it get the best of you, besides there are a lot hot guys on campus. One I think you're becoming fond of." Alice said smiling. Kate smiled. She knew who Alice was referring to. "Listen, if you ever need to talk, I'm here. We're family and family looks out for one another ok?" Alice said as Kate nods. "You don't just have family here, you have friends and if you want to you have Garrett."

"Alice." Kate said to her.

"Don't tell me you don't like him?" Alice asked.

"I do it's just that I'm not ready." Kate said to her.

"No one says you have to rush. All I'm saying is that you just give him a chance and take it slow." Alice said.

"Ok." Kate said smiling. She loved her cousin Alice. She always knew just what to say to make her feel better. Not that she didn't like talking Tanya or Irina, it's just that Alice was a bit more soothing about how she comforted people.

At the maximum prison, the inmate made his way to the laundry room. He had been given a job at the laundry mat. A far cry from the rich guy he once was. Now he was an inmate. He smirked realizing that this would be his way out. All he had to do was come up with a decent plan that would work. For now he'd play nice and do what he was told.

Irina walks into the lounge of the dormitory building B. This is where Edward, Emmett and Jasper reside. Edward is sitting on the couch reading his medical text. He had just come from his pre-med class after football practice. She wanted to talk to him about Laurent.

"Hey Eddie." Irina said. Edward looked up recognizing his cousin. She was about the only one who could get away with calling him by that knick name other than Emmett, Alice, Tanya, Kate and Bella. "Glad I found you. I wanna talk to you." She said going over to sit next to him.

"What's up?" Edward said closing his book making sure to mark the page he left off.

"What is Laurent's reputation with the ladies?" Irina asked.

"Why?" Edward asks her.

"Well because I really like him and we're going on a date but I was just curious about his reputation." She said to him.

"Well, he does have a tendency to be a little loose with the ladies." Edward said to her.

"You mean he sleeps around?" Irina asked. Edward nods. She looks away a little down. "Listen, if you're planning on being with him, just don't give it up to him right away. Take it slow. Make him earn it." Edward told her. Irina smiled.

"Ok. Thank cuz." She said giving him a kiss on the cheek. Edward smiled as she bounced up and left the dormitory. Edward shook his head before going back to his medical book.

Alice headed to Tanya's dormitory. She needed to speak with her cousin about Kate. Tanya was walking into the dormitory with her two other friends and classmates Nettie and Lucy.

"Thank god I found you. Hey Nettie, Lucy." Alice said greeting Tanya's friends.

"Hey Alice." Lucy greeted.

"Allie." Nettie greets.

"What's wrong?" Tanya asks.

"Uh, Nettie Lucy, would two mind giving me and Tanya a little privacy. We need to talk?" Alice asks.

"Sure." Lucy said as she and Nettie head towards their rooms.

"What's going on?" Tanya asks.

"It's Kate." Alice said to her.

"What about Kate?" Tanya asked alarmed.

"You were right about there being more to why she didn't come home than she was telling." Alice said to her. Tanya looked at her.

"Is she ok?" Tanya asks.

"She says she's fine but I saw her in the library earlier and she looked like she was bothered by something. Then she got up and ran into the ladies room." Alice said. Tanya listened. "I found her in the bathroom crying."

"Why was she crying?" Tanya asked.

"She said because her break up from her ex is bothering her but I think there's more going on there." Alice said.

"What do you mean?" Tanya asks.

"Well break ups are hard to deal with but you get over it. She was literally balling in the bathroom. I had to calm her down." Alice explains.

"Ok." Tanya said sighing deeply. "Irina and I will talk to her." Alice nods. "Thanks Allie."

Kate is heading to her last class of the day. She was disappointed that she couldn't go shopping earlier since the class was rescheduled. She was also thinking about her crying session earlier. Her cousin having to calm her down. She had let her guard down for that one moment. She hoped to god that she didn't tell Tanya who would then tell Irina what happened today. She sighed. She's been trying to cope with what happened to her but it's getting harder to deal with. Kate realized she couldn't keep this charade up for long before she really had a meltdown. She was so engrossed in her thoughts she hadn't seen Garrett come up behind her.

"Hey Kate." Garrett's booming voice called to her. She turned around startled. Garrett noticed how jumpy she was. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." He said flashing that smile at her. Kate gave him a small smile.

"I didn't see you behind me." Kate said to him.

"You ok?" Garrett asked her. He noticed her eyes were a bit red. Just one of the things you notice about someone when you're in love with them.

"I'm fine." Kate said to him flashing a fake smile. Garrett saw right through it.

"Did someone do something to upset you?" Garrett asked. Kate smiled realizing he genuinely cared about her.

"No, it's allergies." Kate lied smoothly. Garrett isn't a fool. He knew something was up.

"Ok. I was wondering if we could work on that assignment right now?" He asked.

"I can't." Kate said.

"Why?" Garrett asked.

"Because I have another class right now. I gotta go." Kate said rushing off leaving Garrett watching her. Garrett didn't say another word. He just watched her and smiled. He'd find a way to get to her. He turned around and headed in a different direction. Kate hurried to the main building where her last class was. She was glad that Garrett hadn't bothered her. She likes him and gets so nervous around him but she really wasn't in the mood to talk.

The evening had come way too soon. The gang had all decided to get together at Alice's request on the dormitory she, Bella and Rosalie reside. Sitting in the huge lounge are Edward and Bella on the love seat. Emmett and Rosalie share the long couch with Alice and Jasper. On the second love seat are Riley and Tanya. Laurent has Irina in his lap tickling her. She's giggling. They are seated on the third love seat while Garrett and Kate are on the fourth love seat. All are in their most comfortable clothes.

"Kate." Tanya called to her sister. Kate looks in her direction. "Come." Tanya said more of a request. Whenever she did, Kate and Irina would do as they were told. Kate got up from the seat and walked over to her sister who met her at the door.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Are you ok?" Tanya asked her. Alice looked over in their direction but turned around when Jasper tickled her.

"Alice told you didn't she?" Kate asked. She sighed.

"Yeah she did. She said that you cried." Tanya asked.

"Yes. I did but I'm fine. Stop worrying." Kate told her.

"I know there's more going on then you're telling me but when you're ready to tell me the truth, I'm here." Tanya said. Kate looked away nodding. Both went back to their seats.

"Ok Alice what are we watching tonight?" Bella asked.

"We are going to watch a couple of comedies, then some action movies and finish with a love story." Alice said.

"She's a mother hubbard." Emmett said teasing his sister. The group laughs. Rosalie slaps Emmett's arm. "Ouch."

"Shut up Emmett." Alice said.

"She's the one who kisses your boo-boo when it hurts." Edward teases in a kid voice as the group laughs. Bella does the same to Edward who looked at smirking.

"Shut up Edward." Alice said firmly.

"Tanya is the same way." Irina adds. Tanya glares at her. The group continues to laugh.

"I have to be the mature one since Kate still sleeps with a stuffed animal and you still suck your thumb in your sleep." Tanya retorts back. The group continues to laugh.

"At least I don't snore like a bullhorn _'HHHHOOOONNNNKKK.'_" Kate said imitating a bullhorn causing more laughter from the group.

"I don't snore." Tanya defended herself.

"Yes you do." Irina adds as the group continued to laugh.

"Says the girl who snores like a wolf." Kate adds. The others are laughing harder.

"Ooh I'd like to hear how that sounds." Laurent coos in Irina's ear. She blushes.

"Dude you're a pig." Riley adds.

"OINK, OINK." Laurent said as the others continued to laugh.

"Who told you that secret anyway Tanya?" Irina asks as if Tanya had spilled a big secret.

"Kate did when you ran into her bed during a thunderstorm." Tanya said as Irina looked over at Kate who was laughing. "She said Katie, Katie it's thunder storming outside and I'm so scared." Tanya continued as the group continued to laugh. Irina frowns hard at her sister. "She climbs into Kate's bed falls asleep sucking her thumb."

"I was so tempted to take a picture but I chose not to." Kate said smirking.

"Good." Irina said like a child who had just been picked on by her sisters. After all she is the youngest. "Why did you tell Tanya my secret?" She asked.

"Hey that's payback for telling mom and dad I snuck out late to see that horror movie with my friends. I was grounded for two weeks." Kate said as they all chuckled. Garrett chuckled.

"I didn't tell mom and dad that. Tanya did." Irina said as Kate looked over at her glaring.

"Yeah I did but you ratted me out to mom when I told you Ciara and I were getting tattoos." Tanya said to her.

"That wasn't me that was Eleazar." Kate said. All three look at each other.

"Eleazar's got the three of you arguing with each other." Edward said to them.

"He's officially the man." Emmett said as he and Edward laughed. The group laughed as well.

"Well, I think it's cute that you suck your thumb in your sleep." Laurent cooed to Irina who smiled loving the attention he's giving her.

"Give me a break dude." Riley said smirking. Laurent winked as the group continued their laughter.

What about you Garrett, you think it's cute that Kate sleeps with a stuffed animal?" Emmett asked as they others laughed.

"Actually, I do." Garrett said winking at Kate who smiles blushing.

"And we have a love connection." Riley said as they both blushed.

While the group talked amongst themselves, Kate found herself sitting next to Garrett he was listening to their conversations but was glad he was be sitting next to his dream girl. Kate looked over at him. She did like him. His rugged good looks athletic build was very attractive to her. She found herself staring at him. Tanya, and Irina couldn't help but look over at her smiling. She remembered how she had hurried away from him earlier to get to class and knew she needed to apologize.

"Hey Garrett." Kate called to him. He turned to her. "I want to apologize for what happened earlier."

"Oh you mean brushing me off." Garrett said smiling. Kate smiled seeing his humor. "It's cool. You said you had to get to class. I respect that." He said to her. She smiled relieved that he wasn't mad at her.

"So can we work on that assignment tomorrow?" Kate asked.

"Sure." Garrett said smiling at her. "I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah?" Kate asked. "Me to." she smiled at him.

"Yeah. These guys are no fun. I'll bet you're a lot more interesting than they are." Garrett said. Kate giggled at that comment. Garrett stared at her smiling. He loved her little giggle. The others watched them. They noticed they had an audience and Kate quickly changes the subject.

"So when are we watching that movie?" Kate asks.

"I got a question for you Kate." Emmett said to her.

"What's that?" Kate asked.

"How come you left Miami?" Emmett asked her. The room fell silent as the others waited for Kate to answer. There was that question again. Kate didn't want to talk about that. She shifted in the seat next to Garrett. Garrett could tell she was uncomfortable with the question.

"Em, I told you I don't want to talk about it." Kate said. She was trying not to raise her voice.

"It was a bad break up." Alice said. Kate glared at her. Alice felt bad. She didn't realize it was a secret. She quickly looked away. Tanya turned to her sister. She could tell there's more to why Kate doesn't want to talk about it.

"You changed schools because some dude broke your heart?" Irina asked using a sarcastic tone. Kate frowned hard at her. Tanya could see where this conversation was going. "Give me a break. If some guy breaks up with you, you don't change schools, you fuck his friend and see if that doesn't piss him off." She said as the others laughed.

"It's not that simple Irina." Kate said firmly.

"Yes it is. You don't let someone get to you causing you to change schools. Its unheard of." Irina said as the others looked on.

"You have no fucking idea what you're talking about. You know nothing about what I went through." Kate said raising her voice surprising the others. Tanya knew there was more to what she was saying than just some broken heart. There's something more serious. "So back the fuck off." Kate said getting up and leaving the lounge. She headed straight for her room. Irina stared at her. Tanya gets up to chase after.

"Really Irina." Tanya asked leaving the lounge to check up on Kate.

"What did I say?" Irina asked clueless.

Garrett watched the whole scene. He knew she had gone through something terrible but didn't know what it was or how serious the situation had been. He sighed hoping Kate was ok.

Tanya found Kate sitting at her desk. She could tell that whatever was bothering Kate she was struggling with it big time. She stood at the door and knocked. Kate knew it was Tanya but didn't turn around in the chair.

"I'm fine Tanya." Kate said with her back to her sister.

"You say that but I know you Kate." Tanya said moving into the room. Tanya goes to sit on Kate's bed. Kate has her hand over her forehead. "Wanna know how I can tell you're hiding something?" Tanya asked. Kate looks over at her but doesn't respond. "You do that right there." She said referring to Kate's hand on her forehead.

"Tanya, I'm fine. I'm just…" Kate sighs. She doesn't know what to say at this point. She doesn't want to reveal what really happened to her because she's afraid of putting her family at risk.

"You're struggling with whatever it is that happened to you." Tanya said to her. Kate looked away. "I know there's more going on than meets the eye but I won't push you. If you wanna talk, you know where to find me ok?" Tanya asked. Kate nodded. "I'm here for you. I know Irina in her own annoying way is here for you to." Kate smiles at that comment.

"Thanks." Kate said to her.

"I love you sis." Tanya said to her.

"Love you to." Kate responds. Tanya stands up and kisses her forehead before leaving Kate to her own thoughts. Kate thinks about her life thus far. Tanya was right about one thing, there was more going on than met the eye but Kate just wasn't ready to talk about it and Kate was struggling big time. Her life had been perfect until she met her ex. That's when things changed for the worse. The hell she experience had changed her as well. She didn't trust men the way she use to. She didn't talk as much as she use to and she was hiding things from her family. Something she never did. If Kate didn't know how long she could keep this up. She needed help and fast.


	3. Attraction

True Love

Chapter Three

Attraction

Kate is seated at a table in the library. She hadn't returned to the lounged the night before wanting to be alone. Following her little outburst the night before, Kate had stayed in her room. Tanya was the only one who checked up on her. Tanya had told the others to give Kate some space. Irina felt bad about what she had said to her sister. Tanya scolded her last night. Alice felt a bit guilty as well. She didn't know that she was suppose to keep Kate's breakup from her ex a secret. Kate hadn't met to yell at Irina but the girl had it coming and she was annoying the hell out of her sister. Kate shook heard from her thoughts and looked up to sees Garrett. He's looking for a book for a class of his. Kate smiled at him. She realized she's very attracted to him. His tall frame, muscular stature looks alluring to Kate. She was admiring his boyish good looks and his smile always lit up a room. She stares at him sizing him up. Garrett was a nice guy. Nothing like her ex. She wasn't so sure about that and was too afraid to find out. He sure seemed nice enough guy. The only way for her to know that was to spend more time with him. She had no idea that her kid sister is watching her from afar.

Irina had gotten to the library to grab a book for her class and then leave. At least that was the plan a moment ago. She spotted her sister Kate sitting at a table with her labtop and her books. She smiled remembering that Kate was book worm of three. Tanya was the pretty one. That made her the partier. She felt about what she said to her sister last night. Some of what she said has some truth to it. She hadn't considered Kate's feelings and that was why Kate lashed out at her. She sighed deeply realizing she'd have to apologize to her sister. Then she spotted Garrett. Kate was eye balling Garrett hard. This got Irina's attention. She knew her sister liked him. She decided to go to her table.

"I knew you liked him." Irina said to her smiling. Kate looked over at her and frowned then looked away. Irina's smile disappeared. "Ok you're still mad at me. I get it." She said sitting down across the table from her.

"What do you want Irina?" Kate asked rudely. The last thing she wanted was to banter with her kid sister.

"I want to apologize for last night. I didn't consider your feelings for that I'm sorry." Irina said sincerely. Kate looked over at her. She could tell her sister was being sincere in her apology. Kate softened up. "Tanya and I are worried about you."

"It's ok. I know you guys are worried and I'm fine. I'm sorry for raising my voice at you." Kate told her. "It's just the break up is something I don't want to talk about."

"It's cool. I won't push you but if you are to get over a broken heart, the best way to do it is to date a new guy. Like Garrett for instance." Irina said smirking. Kate smiled. "I can tell you like him cause you can't stop looking at him." Kate blushes a little. "I know he likes you cause he's always staring at you like he's in love."

"I don't know that I'm ready." Kate said to her.

"No one saying you have to rush. Take your time but move on with Garrett." Irina said to her.

Kate thought about her sister's words. She was right about that. She needs to move on and do it with a guy who liked her for her, a guy who wouldn't hurt her. She got up from her seat and walked over to Garrett who was still searching for that book.

"Hey there." Kate said to him smiling. He turned around looking at her smiling.

"Hey beautiful." Garrett flirted flashing that smile of his that Kate likes. "I'm sorry you didn't come back into the lounge last night."

"You missed me?" Kate asked flirting.

"Yes I did. I missed that smile of yours." Garrett said flirting back. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Oh yeah I'm fine. I was wondering if you wanted to work on that assignment for our history class right now?" She asked.

"Sure. Let me just grab my book my other class and we can we can study." Garrett said to her.

"Ok." Kate said as she went and gathered her belongings. Garrett found the book he needs for his class then Kate joined him as the two left the library. Irina smiled.

Tanya is walking toward dorm after class. She was thinking about Kate's situation. A broken heart wasn't much of a situation. Sure it hurt when two people break up but not all break ups are bad. Some mutually agree to end a relationship. So what happened between Kate and her ex that's got her acting different? Maybe her ex was cheating on her. No. Kate would've dumped him and then went on about her business. It had to be something else. She was so deep in thought that she hadn't heard Riley come up behind her.

"Boo." He said scaring her. This startled Tanya. Riley laughed.

"Ass." Tanya cursed at him.

"I'm sorry babe. You didn't even see me coming." Riley said still chuckling.

"No I didn't. What did I tell you about scaring me?" She asked him clearly annoyed. Riley could see this and stopped laughing.

"What's got you in such a crappy mood?" Riley asked.

"I'm not in a crappy mood." Tanya retorted.

"Come here." Riley asked pulling Tanya into him. He kissed her lips. He took her hand and takes her to the bench talk. Both sat down. He has his around her shoulder. "What's on your mind babe?"

"It's nothing." Tanya said looking down at her hands. She was really worried about her kid sister.

"Come on you can tell me." Riley told her.

"Well, I'm really worried about Kate." Tanya told him.

"Why are you so worried about her?" Riley asked. He didn't understand the connection Tanya had to her sisters.

"Because she's acting weird. She's not herself and it worries me." Tanya said to him.

"Weird how?" Riley asks. Tanya stares at him. He really wants to know. She really didn't know how to explain to him what made her worry about her sister. Then it her.

"Think of the ninja turtles." Tanya said as Riley smirked. Tanya looked at him smirking. "Yeah I know it's weird but I can explain it best that way."

"This I gotta hear." Riley said amused.

"Think of me as Leonardo. He's the mature one. He's levelheaded and the leader." Tanya told him.

"Wouldn't that be Eleazar?" Riley asked being funny.

"Technically yes but I'm referring to me, Kate and Irina." Tanya said. "Besides, Eleazar maybe the oldest but he's not all that mature." She said as Riley laughs. "Anyway, I represent Leonardo-mature, levelheaded, the leader. Kate is more of combination of Donatello and Raphael- she's smart, a genius even but she can be temper mental and a hot head. She's not the mushy kind either. Irina is more like Michaelangelo-dimwitted, smart enough to pass her classes and a bit clueless. Actually I think she's a bit more smarter than Michaelangelo but you get my point." Tanya said comparing her and her sisters to the ninja turtle brothers. Riley laughed even harder.

"Wow, I didn't know you'd compare yourself to a ninja turtle." Riley teased.

"You know what I mean." Tanya said to him. Riley stopped laughing long enough to let Tanya finish her explanation.

"So how was Kate acting before she started college?" Riley asked.

"Well for one thing she never lied to me or Irina. She's spent every summer with the family except for this past summer and she's always blunt about her feelings. She's never hid anything from us. Now it seems like she's a different person. She keeps saying she's fine but I can tell she's struggling with something that she won't talk about." Tanya told him.

"Maybe her ex cheated on her." Riley said.

"I thought about to but knowing my sister, she would've dumped his ass and moved on. She never let these things get to her. She use to talk to me about everything. Now she's so quiet and it's just not her." Tanya said.

"I think you're just missing your sister." Riley said to her. Tanya smiles. "I've never seen three sisters be so close." He said pulling her close to him.

"I love them despite the fact that they can be a pain in the ass." Tanya said as she smirks. Riley chuckles. "It's ok to miss her. Is it possible that Kate is maturing as an adult?" He asked.

"It's possible but she wouldn't change that drastically." Tanya told him.

"Like I said you're just missing your sister." Riley said. Tanya smiles at him. She loves him. He knew how to make her feel better but Tanya still worried for her sister. "Come I'll walk you back to your dorm."

"Ok." Tanya said as she and Riley walked towards his dorm hand in hand.

Laurent is in the gym working on his pecks. He does about two sets of twenty reps of bench pressing. He sits up after doing his reps and wipes the sweat beads off his face. He spots a beautiful blond on the treadmill. That blond in question was Irina. He smirked ogling her.

"Damn, that girl looks so good in spandex." Laurent thought to himself as he felt his prick stiffen in his pants. He had to contain himself. He placed his towel over his shoulder and walked over to the treadmill. Irina had her ipod in her ears. She didn't see him walk up to her. He taps her on the shoulder. She turns to him smiling. She removes her headphones from her ears to hear Laurent.

"Hey hot stuff." Laurent said to her.

"Hey handsome, what's up?" Irina asks.

"Was checking you out. You look so good in spandex babe." He said as Irina blushed.

"You looking pretty hot yourself. Lifting weights I see." She said to him. She was walking on the treadmill now.

"Of course. I gotta make sure this body is tight and in good shape." Laurent said to her.

"You look good to me." Irina said to him. She took a sip of her water. Laurent smiles.

"I like spending time with you." Laurent said to her.

"I like spending time with you to." Irina said to him.

"How about we make this official. You and me dating. What do you say?" Laurent asked her.

"Yes." Irina said smiling. She stops the treadmill and gets off of it. She wipes her face on her towel.

"How about we go get a protein smoothie?" Laurent asked.

"Sure." Irina said as they grabbed their bags and headed out of the gym.

Having had her first study session with Garrett, Kate had decided to go for a job in the park. She'd always go for a jog to clear her mind. She use to jog in the Miami weather and loved it. The feel of the hot sun beating down on her tone body as she ran was exhilarating. She'd wear her spandex shorts and a tank top while jogging in her most comfortable sneakers. Now she's in Seattle and the weather was certainly different. The weather was rainier and damp, though it was pretty warm today for it to be early September. She was wearing her pink sweat shirt with her pink spandex pants and her white sneakers.

It was still pretty earlier and she hadn't eaten. Kate enjoyed her first study session with Garrett. He's smart and knowledgeable about history. Both knew they'd pass the course helping each other. Also it was great spending time with Garrett. The guy was hot and made her nervous. She hadn't experienced this with her ex-boyfriend. Her ex. Kate let her mind drift to her ex. Her relationship with her ex had started off innocent enough. She had no idea that he was going to abuse her. In fact she didn't even recognize the signs of abuse until she began to research it. She remembered what he had done to her. The verbal assault, the emotional abuse and the way the verbal abuse made her feel. Kate felt the tears begin to build in her eyes. Then the physical abuse began. It started with him shoving her around. Kate would have a bruised leg or a bruised back. He then escalated to slapping her in the face. She'd walk around with bruises on her face and lie to her friends. She lets the tears fall as her mind continued reminiscing about the abuse. She remembered the times where he'd gotten drunk and forced himself on her. Kate could hear her- self screaming for him to stop. This would happen on four more occasions. The tears poured down her face. She continues jogging at the same pace as her breath becomes shallow. The last image to fill her head was of her being beaten to a bloody pulp by her ex while in her room a few months back. Kate's screams in her head causes her to stop and catch her breath. She sobs lightly trying to gather herself. She wipes the tears away from her face and looks around and spots a figure in the shadows. She stares straight ahead trying to make out who this person could be. She didn't know who it was. Kate's paranoia begins to take over as she thinks it's someone following her. She takes off running in the same direction she was originally started. Kate was scared she didn't even look back to see who was following her. She turns around making one last glance behind her to see if the figure was still following her. She runs directly into another figure. Both fall to the ground.

"Ouch." A male voice said. Kate looked herself was hurt. She straightened up and saw that the figure she ran into was none other than Garrett.

"Garrett." Kate said to him. She was shocked to see him. Garrett had been jogging but in the opposite direction. He was wearing black sweat pants, a black parker and black sneaks. He was on the ground a little dazed. Kate felt bad about knocking him down. "Oh god I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." She said.

"It's cool." Garrett said as she helps him up. "Thanks." He said to her flashing that smile of his.

"I didn't mean to knock you down." Kate said to him looking back behind her.

"No worries. I've been hit harder than that on the gridiron." Garrett joked. He noticed that she was distracted. "Who you looking for?" He asked her.

"Uh, no one." Kate said turning back to him. "I just thought I saw someone behind me." Kate said to him.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yes." Kate said flashing a fake smile. She really wasn't ok.

"How about I treat you to some coffee and we can talk?" He asked.

"Ok." Kate said as the two walked in the direction Garrett had been jogging in.

While working in the laundry room in the prison, the young inmate spent his thinking about the day he escapes to make that bitch pay. He had been dreaming of the day that he could escape the hell hole he was in and kill his ex-girlfriend. She had to pay for putting him in prison. He was taking the dirty sheets and placing them into the washing machine. What he was really doing was planning his escape. The prison he was in ha gated fences. The young inmate began to pay attention to detail. Everything was run through computer systems now. Of course there had to be someone there to man the computers and with the right credentials could be let in. How was he going to do this? He knew that the laundry room was the only way. Then it hit him. He knew what he was going to do. He needed help. He'd have to call a friend. He smiled liking his idea. All he had to do was wait for the right opportunity to do it. For now he's going to be patient.

Bella and Rosalie walking into the lounge of their dorm chatting. Alice had already been in the lounge with her books attempting to study but can't. She's too busy thinking about her cousin Kate. She knew Kate was going through a lot with a broken heart and all but she didn't believe that what Kate was experiencing was just a broken heart. There was much more going on than she was saying. Why Kate wasn't willing to talk about what she's going through only made Alice more curious and concerned.

"I can't believe they stuck me as an understudy to Mildred Coughlin. Yuck." Bella said as Rosalie chuckles. "She's the worst actress in the history of theatre. Our first play we're rehearsing in class and the professor picks her." Bella complained.

"Jealous much?" Rosalie teased.

"Hell yeah." Bella said as Rosalie at her. "She's got a big nose, a big mouth and can't act her way of a paper bag. She's a fucking hack. The bitch." Bella complained as Rosalie continued chuckling. Both girls looked at Alice who hadn't realized they were there. "Hey Ally." Bella called to her playfully as Rosalie chuckles again.

"ALICE!" Rosalie screamed in her ear startling her. Bella laughed.

"Score!" Bella said playfully as she and Rosalie laughed at a startled Alice.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Alice asked holding her chest. They scared her half to death.

"Nothing, what's wrong with you?" Bella asked.

"Nothing, I was just studying." Alice said to them.

"It looked more like you were daydreaming." Rosalie said to her. Alice looked away sighing. "What's up?"

"I've been thinking about my cousin." Alice said to them.

"Kate?" Bella asked.

"Yep." Alice said.

"Why are you so worried for her?" Rosalie asked.

"She's my family." Alice said to her.

"I know that but what's got you so concerned?" Rosalie asked.

"It's just that she's not herself. Kate, Tanya and I would talk about everything. I remember spending the summer at their house and vice versa. We'd talk girl talk. Irina was there to but she was annoying everyone so we'd send her away." Alice said reminiscing as Bella and Rosalie smiled. "We would talk about everything from boys to school, mostly boys. Kate was pretty talkative. She always said whatever was on her mind. If she had a broken heart from some boy, she'd dump his ass in a heartbeat. Now, things were different. She barely talks, she's been crying and she won't talk about this alleged broken heart."

"Ok so what's the point?" Rosalie asks.

"The point is that I think there's more going on than she's telling us." Alice said.

"Ok so what do you think is going on?" Bella asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he was cheating on her. I don't know." Alice said frustrated. "I wish she would just tell me what's going on so I can help her." Alice said placing her hands in her lap somberly. Bella put her arm around her shoulder.

"My dear friend, you are so cool it hurts." Bella said as Alice smiled. "I understand you wanting to help your cousin. That's what so cool about you. Only Kate knows what happened and until she's ready speak up about it we can't do anything about it."

"Bella's right sis, you gotta let this go until Kate speaks up." Rosalie said to her. She called Alice sis cause that's how close the three of them are.

"Yeah you three are right." Alice said smiling. "I guess the only thing I can do is wait."

"Yep and we can listen to Bella complain about Mildred Coughlin." Rosalie said smiling. She said this to get Bella's reaction. Bella just rolled her eyes. Alice caught this and smirked.

"What's going on with Mildred?" Alice asked almost regretting it.

"Go on tell her Bella?" Rosalie said.

"The bitch stole the lead role from me." Bella said angrily. Alice looked at Bella shocked that she'd use that kind of language. Bella never really cursed unless provoked. "She act her way out of a handbag the buck tooth bitch." Bella said as Rosalie continued laughing like she had done earlier. She personally liked seeing Bella fired up.

"Tell me what you really think of her." Alice said sarcastically.

"She's a fucking hack." Bella said as they laughed harder.

Sitting at the local coffee shop in town, Garrett kept staring at Kate. He smiled at her thanking god that she ran into him. Kate was too distracted looking out the window looking around trying to spot who might've been following her. Garrett didn't speak fearing he'd say something stupid but so far the times he's spoken to Kate he hadn't said anything stupid and if so she'd laugh. She noticed him staring at her and smiles politely. He's the first to speak.

"Who you looking for?" Garrett asked. Kate looked at him.

"No one. I thought I saw someone following me before crashing into you." Kate said to him.

"Should I be jealous?" Garrett asked.

"I don't know. Should you be?" Kate asked smiling. Garrett smiled back. He was in love. Kate was starting to feel something for the handsome young man. "So, Garrett where you from?"

"I'm Tacoma Washington. My folks still live out there. My sisters all moved to LA and my older brother lives in Nevada." Garrett told her. Both had ordered their coffees.

"And you're the youngest of five?" Kate asks.

"Yes." He answered.

"What's it like in Tacoma?" She asked.

"It's cool. Nice area to live." Garrett told her.

"I'll bet you had a lot of friends growing up?" Kate asked. "You were popular with the ladies and the life of the party kind of kid." She smiles.

"Well, I have a few close friends, I wasn't as popular as you might think and I wasn't the life of the party. Actually, I was a bit of a hermit. I studied, stayed home most of the time and I worked out because I was on the varsity football team. My buddies however were the idiots. They spent their time partying and dating a lot of girls. That just wasn't me." Garrett said to her. She watched him.

"I didn't know you played football." Kate said smiling to him. Garrett smiled at her while they sat enjoying their coffee. "What position do you play?" She asked.

"I'm quarterback." Garrett told her.

"That's cool." Kate said. "Were you popular with the ladies?" She asked. Garrett smirked.

"Nah. I was the tall lanky athlete who barely got dates. Girls barely noticed me." Garrett said to her.

"I don't know about that. You're quite handsome." Kate said as the words slipped out. Garrett watched her expression. She tried to be smooth about it but he knew she was attracted to him.

"You're quite the looker yourself." Garrett said smiling.

"Really?" Kate asked.

"Actually, you're beautiful." Garrett said staring at her. Though he was serious, he was being honest. Kate in his eyes was his dream girl. She was perfect for him. Kate realized just how serious he is and smiles blushing. She hadn't blushed like this since she was in high school. He ex hadn't made her feel this special. Garrett was one of a kind. The kind of guy you bring home to mom and dad.

"Well, you and the others heard some funny stuff from my sisters and my childhood. Any funny stories from your childhood?" Kate asked smiling.

"Well, yes. My mother and I pulled pranks on my sisters. One night he took my sister's bras and put itching powder on them." Garrett said as he and Kate laughed. "Needless to say they were itching for a week." They both bust out laughing.

"You guys were terrible." Kate said chuckling.

"Yeah but my sisters got me back. She put chocolate in pants and made me walk around with it all day." Garrett said as Kate chuckled.

"Do you sleep with stuffed animals?" Kate asked.

"Well I have my stuffed footballer that I sleep with." Garrett said as Kate smirked. "Sometimes I don't realize that I have that stuffed footballer." Garrett said defending himself. Kate laughed. He smiled loving the way she laughed. It was intoxicating. Kate found herself doing something she hadn't done in a long time. Laugh. Maybe Garrett was the cure she needed for her broken heart. Only time would tell.


	4. Group Counseling

True Love

Chapter Four

Group Counseling

Hank Winters the dean at Seattle university is sitting in his office. He's been the dean at Seattle University for ten years now. The students love him, and faculty respect him. He's going over Kate Denali's college transcript file. The same file that was sent to him in request of her transfer. He went over the file. Kate's grades were magnificent. The girl is smart, a genius even. He was impressed. Her financial paperwork was in order. He had requested to meet with her due to what she endured while at Miami University. He read the police report and the order of protection that came with the file. He knew she'd be safe at his school. He also knew what she went through and just wanted to offer her support and counseling services. There's a knock at the door.

"Come in." Hank said. Kate enters the office carrying her books.

"Dean Winters?" Kate asked.

"Yes. Katrina Denali." Mr. Winters says. Kate closes the door behind her. "Please have a seat." She does. "How are you doing?" He asks.

"I'm fine thanks." Kate said to him smiling.

"I read your file and I wanna start by saying I'm deeply sorry for what you had to endure while at Miami University. I'm glad to have you here at this school." Mr. Winters said.

"It's good to be here." Kate said.

"I understand your sisters are Tanya and Irina Denali?" He asked.

"Yes. My cousins also attend this school. Edward, Emmett and Alice Cullen." Kate said.

"I do know them. Edward and Emmett are on the varsity football team. Alice is an exceptional student. Judging by your transcripts I'd say that exceptional runs in the family." Mr. Winter coos. Kate smiles at the comment. If it was one thing she prided herself on was being a good student. "I just wanna offer my support in any way I can. I realize what you went through was very traumatic for you. Have you spoken to your family about it?" He asked meaning her referring to her sisters, brother, cousins and parents.

"No." Kate said to him. "I don't want them knowing what happened to me."

"Can I ask why?" Mr. Winters asked her respecting her boundaries.

"Because, they'd be in harm's way. He said if I told anyone about it he'd make me watch them die before killing me. I can't run the risk of something happening to them because of me. I won't allow that to happen. I can't live with that." Kate said to him. Mr. Winters felt for his new student.

Ok. Well at the very least talk to a counselor. Everything that's said between yourself and the counselor is kept confidential. They even group counseling." Mr. Winters offered.

"Mr. Winters, I appreciate what you're trying to do and am grateful for the support but I'm fine. I don't need counseling." Kate told him.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?" Mr. Winters asked her. Kate thought about that for a moment. "Kate, when someone goes through what you went through, they have a tendency to struggle emotionally." Mr. Winters told her. Kate looked away knowing exactly what he's talking about. She's experiencing the emotional part at this very moment. "I know someone who does solo counseling as well as group counseling." He said to her then going over to his desk to retrieve the necessary information for Kate. It was card with the name Michelle Middleton on it. "Here you go." He said as she took the card. "Just take some time to think about it. It's good to have someone to talk about how you're coping with the situation."

"Ok." Kate said to him. "Thanks Mr. Winters." She said to him.

"No problem Kate. Welcome to Seattle University." Mr. Winters said with a warm smile. Kate chuckled.

"I already feel welcomed." Kate said smiling as she left his office.

Laurent, Irina and Garrett are walking from the main building. The three are talking. Laurent and Irina had gone on their date and are holding hands. Garrett smiled watching the now couple comfort each other.

"Last night was so awesome." Irina said smiling.

"Yes it was. I had fun." Laurent said to her.

"Me to." Irina said. "I can't wait to go out again."

"Oh we definitely going out again." Laurent said smiling.

"Speaking of going out again, Garrett, have you asked my sister out yet?" Irina asked.

"No but we did have coffee yesterday and talked. Like I said I'm taking it slow with her." Garrett said.

"How slow are you going with her?" Irina asked.

"A snail's pace." Laurent said as they laughed.

"Haha, laugh all you want but I'm not going to push her." Garrett said to them.

"Did she tell you about her broken heart?" Irina asked.

"No." Garrett said to them.

"Maybe she isn't ready to talk about it." Laurent said to them.

"Or maybe she's lying about the broken heart and there's more going on than we know about." Irina said to them.

"True. Even so, I still won't push her. When she's ready to tell me or even she doesn't want to, I'm still taking it slow with her.

"I gotta go. I'm meeting Tanya for lunch." Irina said.

"Come here sexy." Laurent said pulling Irina into a long lustful kiss. "See you later baby."

"Later hon." Irina said as she headed towards the student café. "Later Garrett." She said as he waved.

"Come on buddy." Laurent said smiling as he and Garrett headed in the opposite direction.

Tanya is sitting at the student café with her dorm mates Nettie and Lucy. The three are talking about classes boys amongst other things. Irina walks in.

"Hey sis, Nettie, Lucy what's up?" Irina said going over to sit down in the seat next to Tanya.

"What took you so long?" Tanya asked.

"Coming from a class with Laurent and Garrett." Irina said to her.

"Speaking of Laurent, have you two hooked up yet?" Nettie asked her. Tanya looked over at her.

"Not yet but soon." Irina said to her.

"Irina" Tanya scolded.

"What? It's going to happen at some point. Besides, we went on a date last night and it was wonderful." Irina said to them smiling.

"What did you two do?" Lucy asked.

"We went to the pier, walked around holding hands til it was time to see our movie and then we ate and talked some more. It was amazing. He brought me back to my room where we kissed." Irina said as they smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you had a nice time sis but keep your legs closed until you're ready to have sex." Tanya told her.

"Tanya, I've had sex before. I'm not a virgin." Irina told her.

"So what, that doesn't mean you have to spread your legs to every guy who shows you the slightest attention." Tanya told her.

"I know that. I'm not an idiot." Irina told her.

"No you play one in real life." Tanya joked.

"Bite me Tanya." Irina said offended. Tanya laughed.

"Come on I'm teasing you." Tanya said laughing.

"Anyway, I was talking to Garrett on the way and he said he likes Kate a lot." Irina said.

"That's no surprise." Tanya said.

"I know but he said he's taking it slow with her." Irina said.

"With who?" Kate asked as she came up to their table.

"Garrett." Nettie said.

"Apparently he's got a thing for you." Lucy said.

"And he's taking it slow with you." Nettie adds smirking. Kate smirks looking away blushing.

"If I didn't know better I would think you're sister is blushing." Lucy teased. Tanya and Irina smirked. Kate smiled a bit. It's true that she liked Garrett and it was obvious that he liked her as well.

"Hey uh Tanya, can you give me a ride to this address?" Kate asked showing Tanya the card.

"Michelle Middleton Therapist." Tanya read the card aloud. "Who is this person?"

"A counselor. Mr. Winters thinks it'd be a good idea that I speak with her. Please, I just wanna see what she has to offer." Kate said to her. Tanya looked at the address and nods.

"Ok. I'll take you." Tanya said to her.

"Thanks." Kate said to her. Tanya nods wondering why her sister needs to see a therapist.

"Got a question for you sis?" Irina asks.

"What is it Irina?" Kate asked annoyed.

"Was wondering what your feelings are for the handsome Garrett Parker?" Irina asked.

"I don't wanna talk about him right now." Kate responds.

"I knew it you like him." Irina said sipping her soda. Kate glared at her while Tanya, Nettie and Lucy chuckled.

"What sort of counseling is that?" Nettie asked her.

"It's just some meeting. It's no big deal." Kate said as Tanya looked on.

Marlene Briggs enters her room on campus after some retail therapy. She use to be best friends with Kate when they were attending Miami University together. Since Kate transferred to Seattle University for safety, Marlene figured she was safe as well. Her ex is in jail now so he can't touch her. She placed bags on her bed and began to remove the items from her bags when her phone rings. She turned towards her phone and glances at it. She wasn't expecting a call. Not even Kate had her new number. Deciding to answer it, she picks up the receiver.

"Hello." She said casually.

"Hello Marlene." Came the menacing voice of Kate's ex.

"What the fuck do you want?" Marlene asked. Her voice hard, her body is tense. She remembered all too well what this man had done to her best friend. No way did she want to speak with him.

"Where is Kate?" He asked her.

"Fuck you." Marlene shouts into the phone.

"Come now Marlene, do you honestly think that you can keep her hidden from me?" He asked.

"She's safe and your ass is in jail. You are out of your fucking mind if you think I'm telling you where she is." Marlene retorts then hangs up on him. "Fucking prick." She said going back to what she was originally doing. The phone rings again. She's annoyed now. "What?" She asked into the receiver.

"Listen you little bitch, if you don't tell me where Kate is, I'm gonna fucking cut you up until you're unrecognizable. Where the fuck is Kate Denali?" He asked yelling into the phone.

"Fuck off cock sucker." Marlene said yelling back. She wasn't the least bit scared of him.

"MARLENE!" He yelled into the phone.

"GO TO HELL!" Marlene yelled back then hanging up on him for the second time.

"FUCK!" He yelled from the pay phone. All of the inmates turned to him. He frowned at them before returning to his cell. He was pissed off. How dare that bitch speak to him like that? He was going to find a way to make her pay. For now he would wait and continue to plan his escape.

While driving into the city, Tanya and Kate hadn't spoken. The ride was pretty silent. Tanya hated it when things were silent. She's a bit of a chatter box as a child. Kate didn't speak much unless she was spoken to. Tanya wanted to know more about this alleged meeting. She decided talking to her. Not that Kate would tell her about the meetings but decided to find out what was going on with her sister.

"Hey so how's it going for you?" Tanya asked.

"It's good." Kate responds.

"And your classes, how are they coming along?" Tanya asked.

"They're fine. Thanks." Kate said to her.

"Kate, I hate that you won't tell me what's going on with you." Tanya told her.

"Tanya, I told you there's nothing going on with me. I'm fine." Kate told her.

"We've been able to talk about anything and everything." Tanya told her.

"So."

"So, it worries me when you don't talk to me." Tanya told her. "It bothers me when we can't talk about things."

"Tanya, it's not that I don't want to talk to you, it's just that I've told you time and time again that nothing is wrong but you won't believe me." Kate told her.

"There's a reason for that." Tanya told her.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" Kate asked her.

"Because I don't believe you." Tanya told her. Kate sighed. "I know you sis. I know when something is up. So you can either tell me now or later, but at some point you will tell me." Tanya told her. Kate shook her head. She knew she was right. Kate at some point was going to confide in her about what's been going on but Kate didn't want to take the risk. She was too afraid of what might happen if she did spill her deepest secret. Though she realized she needed to talk to someone about how she was feeling. Maybe this group would help Kate talk about what happened to her. Tanya glanced over at her sister who hadn't said a word. She decided to speak again. "So what's this meeting about?"

"I guess it's a meeting for those with broken hearts. I don't know." Kate lied smoothly. The car pulled up to the street address. The place was located in a small building close to the farmer's market.

"This is the place." Tanya told her.

"Thanks for the ride sis." Kate said to her.

"No problem." Tanya told her. "Listen, I know that I've been bugging you to tell me what's going on but it's because I love you and want you to be happy."

"You sure it's not the big sister in you being over protective?" Kate asked smiling.

"Ok maybe there's some truth to that but come on. I want you to know I'm here for you." Tanya told her.

"I know. I love you for it. Thanks." Kate said to her.

"Sure." Tanya told her. "Remember what I said." Kate nods and then exits the car. She walks into the building. Tanya's car pulls off.

Kate makes her way inside the building. The building is a rec center that has been converted into an outpatient therapy center for victims of crime, abuse and rape. Kate walks into the building and finds the conference room for survivors of abuse. She enters the big conference room to find at least fourteen different women sitting down. She sees a table to her right. On the table is a sign in sheet and some beverages. Kate signs her name to the sheet and has a seat in one of the vacant chairs. She looked around realizing she isn't the only one who's been abused and just wants to observe for a bit. The woman sitting in the middle of the room with the note pad is Michelle Middleton. Kate figured she is the one running the group.

"Ok let's get started." Michelle said as the girls sat down in their chairs. "Good day everyone."

"Good day." The ladies all said in unison. Kate was the only one who hadn't said anything. She was new to the group and didn't know how things worked.

"How is everyone doing today?" Michelle asked. She's a licensed therapist who's been helping and counseling victims of abuse for ten years. She herself is a survivor of domestic abuse.

"Good." The ladies all said in unison again.

"I see we have a new few new faces in the group." Michelle said as she glances at two women next to Kate. "Raise your hands if you're new to the group?" Michelle asked as Kate and two other women raised their hands. "Introduce yourselves."

"Hi my name is Mary." The first woman introduces herself.

"My name is Cassie." The second woman introduces herself.

"I'm Kate." Kate said shyly as the women in the group nod.

"Thank you Mary, Cassie and Kate. Welcome to the group." Michelle said warmly. All three women nod. "Well the way it works, is that everything that is said here is kept confidential. We share our stories to help one another and to better understand the dynamics of abuse. We're all friends here and we show respect to each other while sharing our stories ok." She said as everyone nods. "So seeing as how we have three new faces, who would like to speak first?" she asked. Mary was the first to raise her hand. "Mary."

"Well uh, my name is Mary and I'm originally from Oklahoma." Mary said as she went on to tell her story of abuse. Kate listened empathetically to the horrific things Mary had endured at the hands of her husband. Kate was horrified by what she heard and it brought a tear to her face as Mary cried as well. Cassie also told her story of abuse. She explained how her boyfriend had forced her to prostitute herself and when she refused he would rape her and then let his friends have her. She said he had beat her up on more than one occasion and had tried to kill her. Cassie cried as she told her story. She said the police put him away for a long time. Kate was disgusted by what she was hearing.

"Thank you for sharing Cassie. Kate, it's your turn." Michelle told her. Kate was reluctant.

"I don't know I can." Kate said.

"It's ok. We're all here to help you. We won't judge you." Michelle told her.

"I'm not ready." Kate said. "I'm sorry." She said letting tears fall down her face. Cassie who is sitting next to her rubbed her shoulder to comfort her.

"It's ok. Why don't we take a break and we can talk some more?" Michelle asked. Everyone stood up from their chairs and made their way to the beverage cart. Kate needed a moment and decided to step outside of the room. Hearing those stories hurt her deeply even though those weren't hers. Kate realized she can identify with the two women who told their story. Kate let tears fall down her face. Michelle had been watching her. She'd get the chance to talk with Kate alone. The poor girl is struggling with her situation.

Irina is in the bleachers with Bella, Alice and Rosalie watching the guys get in a practice. Watching Laurent practice for the upcoming game was turning her on. She didn't know how long she could go without letting Laurent fuck her senseless. Alice watches her smirking. She decides to be playful with her cousin.

"So, Laurent looks hot doesn't he?" Alice asked smirking. Bella and Rosalie are chuckling.

"Mm-hmm." Irina said as she stares her new boyfriend lustfully.

"You want him to take you right now don't you?" Alice asked.

"Oh yeah. Right here right now." Irina said as Alice, Bella and Rosalie laughed. She finally realizes what Alice was doing to her. "Oh haha." She said as the three laughed at her. "Stop teasing me Alice." She said smirking.

"Come on Irina you know you should keep your legs closed." Alice said to her.

"I have and that's the problem." Irina said as they giggled again. "I want to screw him so bad but I don't want him to dump me after woods."

"Well, if you want the relationship to last then make him wait for it." Rosalie told her.

"What do I do to alleviate the tension down between my legs?" Irina asked.

"Masturbate." Bella said to her. Alice and Rosalie chuckled. "It's what I do." Irina thought about that for a moment. That was definitely a good idea. It would keep her from thinking about sex when out with Laurent.

"Come on the guys are finished with their practice." Rosalie said as the four made their way down from the bleachers to the field. Laurent, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper come over to where the bleachers where the girls are standing. Jasper pulls Alice into his arms. Emmett does the same with Rosalie and Bella pulls Edward into a kiss. Laurent pulls Irina into a long lustful kiss.

"Hey, hey." Emmett said trying to break them up.

"What's the problem bro?" Laurent asked smirking.

"Break it up you two. I don't want Eli kicking my ass because you fucking with his baby sister." Emmett said referring to his cousin Eleazar who happens to be Irina's older brother.

"Don't worry. Eli will like me." Laurent said to him.

"Yeah he will." Irina cooed.

"Oh brother." Alice said as they chuckled.

"What's up guys and ladies?" Garrett said as he made his way over to the group.

"I saw your girlfriend this morning." Irina said.

"My girlfriend?" Garrett asked confused.

"My sister Kate." Irina said.

"Oh." Garrett said smiling.

"Judging from that smile, I'd say you two are getting closer." Laurent said to him.

"Yeah we are." Garrett said to them. He liked the direction he and Kate were going in. It felt as if he were getting closer to each other.

"How do you feel about her?" Irina asked.

"I'm in love with her. I want to be with her but I won't push either." Garrett told them.

"Well I can totally see you two together but treat her right." Irina said to him. Garrett smiles at her.

"I will." Garrett said.

"I have an idea, why don't we double date?" Laurent asked them.

"That sounds like fun." Irina said. "What do you say Garrett?"

"That sounds cool. You think Kate will go for it?" He asks.

"I'm sure she will." Irina said.

"Ok. I'll ask her when I see her." Garrett said to her.

"Kate, right?" Michelle asked as Kate stood outside of the room during the group's second break. Michelle could tell that Kate was struggling with the stories she was hearing.

"Yes." Kate said to her. "I'm sorry for running off like that for a second time."

"It's ok. I know hearing the stories these women have gone through can be tough." Michelle said to her.

"Yeah. I feel bad that they had to endure that." Kate said to her.

"Why did you decide to come to this group?" Michelle asked.

"I'm not really sure. Hearing those stories brings back some horrible memories." Kate told her. "I feel horrible for them and myself."

"I understand how you feel." Michelle told her. "How about for today only you observe and then the next time you can tell us your story?"

"Ok. Thanks." Kate said. She was really unsure as to why she had come to this meeting to begin with because according to her she was fine. She knew better though. One tends to find it difficult to cope after a traumatic event. Kate was in the mist of her own hell and didn't know how to get past what happened.

"It's ok. Come on." Michelle said extending her hand to Kate who took it and was escorted back into the room. "Ok everyone let's resume our session." She said as Kate sat back in the chair along with the rest of the group.

Bella came running into the dorm she shared with Alice, Rosalie and Kate. Alice, Tanya, Rosalie, Edward, Emmett and Jasper are on dorm. The group is eating pizza while studying.

"This course is kicking my ass." Emmett said. "My fucking head hurts."

"Try using it. It might hurt less." Alice said as they chuckled.

"Haha." Emmett said as they laughed.

"Oh my god!" Bella shouted excitedly as she burst into the lounge bouncing up and down.

"Hey baby what's going on?" Edward said going over to her.

"Yeah you're dancing around like you gotta pee or something. What's going on?" Alice asked

"We had a little contest in class this morning and I just found out that I won twelve tickets to the carnival that's in town." Bella said smiling. They all looked at her perplexed. "You guys do know about the carnival in town right?" She asked and got no response. She sighs. "Did I mention the tickets were free?" She asked.

"Hey!" Everyone cheered.

"We're all going right?" Emmett asked. They all looked at him as if he had asked a dumb question.

"Dude, twelve tickets. One for each of us." Edward said to him.

"Oh yeah." Emmett said as they chuckled.

"What date are the tickets for Bella?" Tanya asked.

"Tonight." Bella responds. "I'm going. I don't know about you guys."

"Oh we're going." Alice said as Jasper nods.

"Count us in." Emmett said.

"Like you had a choice babe." Rosalie said as the group chuckles.

"Let me call Riley. He should be coming from class right now." Tanya said picking up her cell and dialing her boyfriend's number.

"Hello." Riley answers.

"Hey honey. Guess what?" Tanya asked.

"What?" Riley asked.

"Bella has ticket to the carnival in town." Tanya told him.

"Cool. I'm on board. Did you tell your sister's yet?" Riley asked.

"Not yet. I took Kate to some meeting earlier and I haven't seen Irina or Laurent all day for that matter." She said to him.

"Ok. I'll call Laurent and let him know." Riley told her.

"Ok I'll Irina and tell her." Tanya said as both hung up their phones. While Tanya called her sister, Riley called Laurent and told him about the Bella winning the tickets.

The group meeting for survivors of abuse was over. Kate didn't have a ride back to campus. She dialed Tanya's number but it was busy. She called Riley but his line was busy. She remembered exchanging numbers with Garrett after their study sessions. She didn't want to disturb him but she needed a ride back. Besides, this was a good time they could be alone to talk a little more. She dialed his number hoping he answered.

"Hello." She heard his velvet voice over the phone. She was so mesmerized by his voice she couldn't speak. "Hello." He said again.

"Uh hi Garrett it's Kate." Kate said to him.

"Hey beautiful. What's going on?" Garrett asked her. She could feel him smiling over the phone.

"I didn't disturb you did I?" She asked.

"No. Not at all. Why what's the matter?" Garrett asked her a little alarmed.

"Well, my sister brought me to a group meeting in town and I don't have a ride back. Can you come and get me please?" Kate asked nicely. Garrett smiles.

"Sure. Where are you?" Garrett asked.

"I'm at 1650 Tanner Street." She told him reading the address from the card.

"I know where that is. I'll be there in about 30 minutes." He told her.

"Thank you." Kate said to him.

"No problem." Garrett said as he got up from his desk in his room. He was reading his notes for class when Kate called him. He put on his sneakers and grabbed his jacket and car keys. He jumped into his car in the parking lot and drove off. Garrett always considered himself a good driver. He was weaving past cars at the speed limit to make sure he can pick up the woman he loves. "1650 Tanner Street. He realized he was about ten blocks away from where Kate is. Kate is waiting patiently for him. His black ford pulls up to the curb. He rolls down his windows. Kate hadn't noticed him yet. "Hey beautiful." He called to her. Kate sees him and smiles. She heads over to the car. "Get in." He told her. Kate gets into the car.

"Thanks for picking me up Garrett." Kate said to him.

"It's no problem." Garrett said to her before pulling off. They'd be back on campus in about fifteen or twenty minutes. "So what meeting were you attending? If you don't mind me asking?"

"It was just a group who all spoke about broken hearts." Kate said trying to be as vague as possible.

"Didn't know they had group counseling for broken hearts." Garrett said to her.

"Apparently they do. The dean thought it would help me." Kate told him.

"Did it?" Garrett asked.

"Not really." Kate said to him. She lied to him. It helped to hear some of those stories even though they were sad and reminded Kate of her own pain.

"Maybe you need someone to take your mind off your broken heart. Like me for instance." Garrett told her. Kate smiled at him. Garrett glances at her. He got the reaction he was looking for. His car pulls into the parking lot of the school. He sees the others coming towards them. "What's going on?" He asks them.

"Bella got tickets to the carnival in town. We're all going." Laurent told them holding Irina's hand.

"I don't know guys. I was just going to stay on dorm and study." Kate said.

"No way. You are coming out with us." Alice said.

"Yeah sis it'll be fun." Irina said to her.

"Ok." Kate said.

"We are riding with you two." Laurent as he and Irina got into the back of Garrett's car. Kate got back into the passenger seat.

"Garrett, the carnival is on 2040 Holster Street." Bella told him.

"Alright. Meet you guys there." He said as he gets into the drive's side of the car. He restarts the ignition and pulls out of the parking lot of the campus. Edward drove while Bella rode in the passenger side. Alice, and Jasper rode with them. Emmett had Rosalie in his car while Riley drove Tanya in his car.

All four cars pull into the parking lot of the carnival. All twelve friends get out of the cars and make their way towards the entrance of the carnival. Lots of people are there. It's popular attraction while they're in town. Bella had given her tickets to the person manning the ticket booth and all twelve made their way past the gates.

"Holy shit, look at this place." Riley said smiling.

"What are we doing first?" Alice asked.

"Go carts." Emmett said as he ran towards the tent where the go cart ride is.

"Ride behind you babe." Rosalie said following.

"Roller coaster ride here we come." Riley said pulling Tanya by the hand.

"We're right behind ya." Laurent said as he and Irina follow suit.

"Wanna go on the loop to loop ride?" Edward asks Bella who nods smiling.

Both take off towards that ride. The only two left are Garrett and Kate.

"Well that only leaves us." Garrett told her. Kate smiles nervously. "What do you wanna do first?"

"I've never been on the tea cup ride before." Kate said.

"Cool let's go." Garrett said to her as the two made their way to the tea cup ride. He let her on first then sat next to her in one of the tea cups. The ride got started. All the tea cups began to spin around. Kate found herself smiling. Garrett watched her. As tea cups spins around faster, Kate found herself enjoying the ride. When that ride was over, they went on the roller coaster ride, then rode the go carts bumping into each other. Kate was having fun pushing Garrett's go cart around. He smiled loving that the fact that she was enjoying herself. They then went on the loop to loop ride, then the spider ride. The guys all decided that they'd win a prize for their ladies. Edward won Bella a stuffed bear, Emmett won Rosalie a stuffed monkey, Jasper won Alice a stuffed panda bear, Riley won Tanya a stuffed tiger, Laurent won Irina a stuffed lion, Garrett won Kate a stuffed baby gator holding a teddy bear with the words 'Be Mines' written on it. Kate smiled. The group decides to go on a boat ride at the far end of the carnival. In boat one is Edward and Bella, boat two has Emmett and Rosalie, boat three has Jasper with his arm around Alice, In boat four has Laurent with Irina, boat five has Riley and Tanya. The last boat has Garrett with Kate by his side. He looks at her smiling. Kate smiles at him. She's nervous to be this close to him. Garrett can feel how he's making her feel. Feeling bold, he takes her hand in his. Kate sees this and lets him. Garrett leans into her slowly, his lips inches from hers, Kate can feel her heart racing. At the last second she turns her head away. Garrett isn't offended though. He realizes he still has her hand in his. That's enough for him for now. He planned to kiss Kate before the night was over.

Once the ride was over, the group decides to head to get something to eat. It was eight o'clock at night and wanted to get dinner. They brought two pizza pies and sat down at the bench to eat. Emmett ate like a pig and was teased by Alice and Rosalie. Laurent challenged Riley to what they call an eat off. Irina and Tanya laughed along with the others. Garrett was watching Kate who was laughing and would glance at him every so often. Garrett saw people going into the photo booth and it hit him. He'd kiss Kate there. First he'd have to get her to go with him. He saw that she was finished with her pizza. He had two more bites of his pizza and threw out his trash. He made sure to swallow the last of his food and drank down his soft drink. Garrett took out a stick of doublement and began chewing on the gum. Once the flavor was gone from the gum, he checked to make sure his breathe smelled good. Satisfied, he went over to where Kate was standing.

"Hey Kate, you wanna take a picture with me?" Garrett asked her. Kate looked at the photo booth and felt a little uneasy. She turned back to him smiled. "It'll be something to remember this day."

"Ok." Kate said taking Garrett as he led her to the photo booth. They entered the booth. Garrett put in the dollar. Both stared at the camera lens smiling. The camera began to take several pictures. Garrett looks over at Kate as she does him. The camera continues to snap picture after picture. Garrett leans in and kisses Kate's lips before she has time to react. The camera captures the kiss on film. Kate is surprised at the kiss. She pulls back staring at Garrett in shock. He stares back wondering if she was ok.

"I have to go." She said getting out of the photo booth and racing off.

"Kate wait! Kate!" Garrett called her name chasing her. He grabs her arm and she pulls away from him. Tanya and the others see this and look at them alarmed.

"Stop right there." Tanya said glaring at him then going after her sister, with Alice, Irina, Rosalie and Bella in tow. Emmett and Edward glare at Garrett who looks guilty.

"What happened man?" Laurent asked him.

"Nothing. I kissed her." Garrett told him. "She freaked out and ran away from me." Garrett said hitting himself on the head. "I fucked this is so bad. She probably hates me now."

"No. Give her some time." Riley said trying to give his friend kind words. Truth was he didn't know what Kate was going through and didn't know if time was on Garrett's side. Garrett looked down at his feet frowning. He wondered if he had truly screwed things up with him and Kate. Only time would tell.


	5. Nightmares

True Love

Chapter Five

Nightmares

Kate and the others returned to campus after their fun at the carnival ended abruptly due to Garrett's indiscretions. Tanya, Alice and Irina spent the rest of the evening comforting Kate. Kate wouldn't explain why she ran away and kept saying she was fine. Tanya held her while Kate sobs lightly. Irina couldn't understand why she was crying. It didn't sound like Garrett had done anything wrong. Kate just said that she didn't want to talk about it. Kate had fallen asleep. Tanya, Alice and Irina decided it was best to leave her to her slumber. Kate tosses and turns in her bed as she having a nightmare. She is dreaming of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. She had been having this dream since transferring to Seattle University. The dream always starts the same and ends the same.

The Dream

_Kate Denali a Twenty year old college student at Miami University is sitting in the lounge with some of her fellow classmates one of which was her best friend Marlene Briggs studying for a history exam. She's a sophomore who is already considered to be one of the smartest girls on campus. Marlene her closest friend watched Kate run the study group. She wondered how she was doing it. The two had been friends since they entered college a year and five months ago but hardly recognized the young woman she's come to know. Her demeanor had changed. The care free young woman she met was far from the woman she sees before her. This young woman was a lot more on edge. She was fidgety, easily scared and her features which were prominent are now worn out tired. Probably from all the beatings she suffered at the hand of her abusive boyfriend Royce King Jr. _

_Kate had begun dating Royce about a year and a half ago. Everyone thought they were a match made in heaven. The first two months were great. Royce and Kate spent time together. He swept her off her feet buying her whatever she wanted. Royce's family is rich and he can afford just about anything he wants. Kate though her family is wealthy as well didn't mind it so much but has never had a man take care of her. However, what followed wasn't heaven at all. In fact it was a nightmare for Kate. Royce would get angry with her and that's when the abuse started. At first it was verbal. He would curse her out calling her every name in the book. Kate cried and did whatever he wanted her to do. She wanted to keep him happy and not hurt her. Things were ok for a while and it had looked as if Royce had changed to being nice again. A few months went by and then the abuse began again. This time the abuse escalated. _

_His verbal abuse escalated to emotional abuse. He would tell her no one would want her and that she was his. Kate after a while began to believe this. She began to feel like no one would ever want someone like her. Marlene had found out Royce was abusing her and tried to intervene but Kate would always defend him. Marlene had also witnessed some of the abuse for herself and was angered. She like most weren't afraid of Royce who would be angry about this and would take it out on Kate._

_Royce had begun drinking and doing drugs. This led to him physically hitting Kate for the first time. The first time it happened was when Kate had asked Royce where he had been and he slapped her face for it. Kate was shocked by this and cried. Royce immediately apologized. He brought her flowers and candy to make up for the abuse. Kate readily accepted it. Marlene knew his being nice was only temporary. She was angered at Kate for allowing this guy to harm her. When their freshmen year ended, Marlene was happy that she and Kate would be heading off campus. Royce wasn't happy that Kate would be spending time with her family in Alaska. He had called her several times a day trying to keep tabs on her and it got too weird for Kate. He ended up coming to her family's home unannounced to see Kate. This angered her greatly. He said that wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend. She said that this was her time to spend with her family. Royce became aggressive with her and her brother Eleazer came out of the house to help Kate. He forcefully told Royce to get lost. He did. Kate hadn't worried about Royce for the remainder of her summer vacation. It was when she returned to school for her sophomore season when things had gotten worst._

_Kate had returned to campus for her sophomore year. She was happy to see her friend Marlene. A couple of Royce's buddies asked Kate if she had heard from him. She said not since he showed up at her family's house in Alaska. Royce hadn't called or spoken to Kate since she had been back on campus. Royce had then returned to campus. His boyish good looks were replaced by a disheveled young man. His hair was messy, his beard hadn't been shaved and he wreaked of beer and alcohol. Kate was shocked at the guy she saw before her. Royce begged her to help him. She decided to do so because she was in love with him. She helped him get cleaned up and sober up. It seemed like he was going to get himself together before he was kicked out of school. Royce's behavior changed for the worse. He started using drugs and continued his drinking. Kate found out and was livid. She spent so much time trying to help him and he continued his old habits. Royce began to abuse her all over again. He told Kate she was his and no one was taking her from him. There were five more altercations. Marlene worried about her best friend who made excuses for Royce's because she loved him. Marlene noticed the bruises on her face, arm, legs and begged Kate to get help but she wouldn't. Royce even forced himself on Kate a week ago. He raped her and she never reported it. She just cleaned herself up and acted like nothing had happened. Royce certainly acted as if nothing happened. In fact, he'd force himself on Kate four more times. He sobered up and acted like the romantic guy everyone thought he was. _

_Royce's grades slipped and he was kicked out of school for good. He wasn't to be allowed back on campus. Marlene told Kate that this was a good thing, now she couldn't be hurt anymore by him. Kate sighed heavily realizing without Royce on campus, she might actually get her work done. Besides it was the end of the semester and she was ready for spring break. But first they had to pass this history exam. Marlene watched her disgust all the topics pertaining to the exam. She smiled realizing that her friend was a lot smarter than she thought. She smiled as she finished covering the chapters that will be on the exam._

"_You did great." Kate said to them smiling. "We are going to ace this exam." She said as everyone cheered. _

"_Thanks to you Kate." Came the voice of a male student. _

"_Yeah. You know your history." Came a female voice._

"_Well my parents use to be history professors so I learned this stuff at an early age." Kate said. "Ok, study group is over. Get some shut eye because we have our exam in the morning."_

"_Sounds good to me." The same male said. The entire group stood up gathering their things. _

"_You are fucking awesome you know that?" Marlene said to her smiling. _

"_Thanks." Kate said smiling at her best friend._

"_What do you say tomorrow night I get some take out and we have us a girls' night?" Marlene said looking at her. Kate smiled. She knew her friend was trying to cheer her up._

"_Sure." Kate said smiling. _

"_Awesome." Marlene as the two girls were making their way towards Kate's room. "Shit, I forgot my pen. Be right back." She said as Kate nodded. Marlene turned back towards the lounge to retrieve her pen._

_Kate had gotten to her room. She turned the knob on the door and entered her room. She sees Royce sitting on her bed. She's startled by his presence._

"_Kate" Royce said to her. His words were slurred. She could tell he had been drinking. He smelled of gin and vodka. _

"_Royce what are you doing here?" Kate asked._

"_I wanted to see you." Royce said his words slurred. Kate looked around for an exit. Royce sees this and rushes towards her. Kate's back hits the wall. Royce uses one hand to hold her by the throat while he shuts the door locking it with the other. Kate knows what's coming and is trapped. _

"_Royce please, don't hurt me." Kate begs. She pushes him back if anything to get some distance from him. Royce's eyes are blood shot red. She backed up towards her bed trying to keep her distance. She knew what he was capable of and was scared shitless. _

"_You know I was thinking to myself, ever since I met you, my life has been such a fucking mess." Royce told her. Kate shakes her head. "Yes it is. My parents abandoned me, my siblings left me alone, then I get kicked out of school. I'm little broke. You pushed me away." Royce said stalking towards her. Kate looked around for an exit. The only other place she could get to was the bathroom. She'd have to get past him. The room wasn't all that big. With the exception of a desk, chair, bed, dresser and closet, there wasn't much more she could put in her room. She had a window but they were at least two stories up. Jumping out the window wasn't an option._

"_It's not my fault Royce. I cared about you. I tried to help you." Kate said to him._

"_You pushed me away. I loved you Kate." Royce said to her. _

"_No I didn't." Kate said to him. She tried to get past him to get to the bathroom but Royce was quick and grabbed a hold of her waste. Royce angrily threw Kate to the ground in the room. Kate hit her head. _

"_Fucking Bitch!" Royce screams at her. He begins kicking her in the stomach. Kate groans in pain. "I LOVED YOU." He screams. Kate begins to cry. He grabs her by her shirt and lifts her up to her then shoves her onto the bed. _

"_ROYCE PLEASE!" Kate begs him._

"_SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screams at her then punches her in the face several times. _

_Meanwhile outside of Kate's room, students can hear the commotion. They wonder what's going on in her room. Marlene came running up to the door. She heard the voices in the room and recognized them both. _

"_What the hell is going on?" Asked one girl._

"_I don't know." Came the voice of another female._

"_KATE?" Marlene asked banging on the door. She tried turning the knob but the door was locked. "KATE!" She yelled. She could hear things being broken in the room. Kate is screaming at the top of her lungs. "SHIT. Call the police!" Marlene shouts as another student gets on her cell and dials 911. Marlene tries desperately to get the door open but it won't budge. _

_Royce had punched Kate to her face several times. He hit her in the ribs, her stomach, and pulled her hair. He had thrown her into her mirror on her desk shattering the class. Kate hit the floor with hard thud crying out in pain. Royce kicked Kate in her ribs several more times before spitting on her. He stompped on her head and kicked her in face four times. The door flung open as Marlene was finally able to get it open. There stood Royce looking like the devil himself. She sees Kate on the ground not moving. Marlene is horrified._

"_What did you do to her?" Marlene asked angrily. Royce doesn't respond. "You fucking piece of shit!" Marlene said charging at him to hit him but Royce ducks and slaps her across the face. Marlene falls to the floor holding her face. Royce stumbles over towards the dresser. He sees the picture of Kate and himself. He picks it up and slams it to the floor. The glass in the picture shatters upon contact with the floor. "Get the fuck out of here." Marlene shouts to him. He looks back at her. He stumbles towards the door. Police sirens can be heard outside of the dorm. Several squad cars had pulled up to the dorm building. Officers were escorted upstairs by two students who are aware of the situation. Royce is stumbling towards the door of Kate's room. He slips out through the back stair well. Marlene cries trying to wake Kate. "Officers in here." Marlene yells as the officers move towards Kate's room. Four officers are present. Two of the of the officers are young looking while the other two are middle aged. _

"_Call for a bus." One of the older officers said. _

"_What happened here?" The younger officer asked._

"_That asshole boyfriend of hers beat her up." Marlene said through her sobs. "He left out through the back stair well. Here's a picture of them together." Marlene said handing the older officer a picture of Royce and Kate together._

"_Search the campus for white male, long brown hair, beard, early twenties." The Second older officer said._

_Moments later the paramedics came into the room. Kate had passed out from her wounds. She was immediately placed on the gurney and wheeled to the ambulance van. Marlene grabbed her bag and headed to the hospital with her. _

_The officers found Royce sitting in his car. He had reacted to what he had done. The officers immediately surrounds his car. _

"_Freeze." Officer One says. Royce barely registers the officer there. "Let me see your hands." Royce puts his hands outside of the window of the driver side of his car. "Get out of the car slowly." Officer One ordered as Royce who is clearly intoxicated. He slowly stumbles from his vehicle and is placed in handcuffs by officer two. _

_Kate gives her statement to the police. Her face is bruised and she has a cracked rib. Marlene her best friend is at the hospital with her. Kate cries while in the hospital and begs Marlene not to contact her family. Marlene wasn't sure why but didn't go against Kate's wishes. Kate's dream takes her to the trial that was pushed up to mid-July. Marlene testified against Royce. Kate's testimony was what put him away. The district attorney also found out that Royce was selling drugs from his car and this was the reason he was expelled from Miami University._

"_Has the court reached a verdict?" Judge Pete Weinstein asks._

"_Yes we have your honor." Said the jury foreman. _

"_Will the defendant please rise?" Judge Weinstein asks. Royce along with his defense attorney stand up. "On the charge of assault one, how do you find the defendant?"_

"_We find the defendant guilty your honor." Jury foreman said._

"_On the charge of possession narcotics, how do you find defendant?" Judge Weinstein asks._

"_We find the defendant guilty your honor." Jury foreman said._

"_Mr. King, you've been found guilty on all charges and therefore will serve a sentence of twenty years. Since you assault Katrina Denali, you may not have contact with her or anyone she knows. An order of protection will be put in place. If you contact her or anyone she's associated with that includes Marlene Barnes, I will add more years on your sentence." Judge Weinstein tells him. Royce stares angrily. "I find your crimes heinous and reprehensible. You deserve to be behind bars. This court's adjourned. _

"_What?" Royce says shocked. "NO FUCKING WAY." He shouts. He turns to see Kate crying and staring at him. "YOU BITCH! THIS IS YOUR FAULT. I GET OUT OF JAIL, I'M KILLING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! YOU HEAR ME BITCH! YOU'RE NOT SAFE FROM ME KATE. I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THIS BITCH!" He screams while being dragged away by the bailiff. "YOU'RE DEAD BITCH. YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE ALL DEAD!" _

End Of Dream

Kate spurns up in her bed breathing heavily. Sweat beads are pouring off her face. She looks around and realizes she's still in her room at Seattle University. She sighed deeply before slowly getting up from her bed to go into the bathroom. She stares at her reflection in the mirror. The person staring back at her was someone she didn't recognize. Someone foreign to her. Kate was always full of life and her features resembled that. Now she looked like a shell of herself. She placed water on her face trying to drown away the sweat then dried her face. Kate cuts her bathroom light off before heading back over to her bed. She laid back down and let her mind wonder. She glanced at the clock which read 3:40am. She sighed again. Her thoughts took back to what took place in the photo booth between Garrett and herself. He had planted a wet sensual kiss on her lips. Kate then ran away from him like a school girl with a little crush who was embarrassed. She felt bad for running out on him like that. It was the fact that he kissed her that scared her. She actually did enjoy the kiss. Though surprised by it, she liked it. In fact, the kiss Garrett planted on her was wonderful. What scared Kate was the fact that she is falling in love with Garrett and she doesn't want history to repeat its self. Garrett was nothing like Royce if not better. He certainly treated her better. She was just afraid to let Garrett into her heart although her heart was betraying her. She didn't want Garrett to abuse her the way Royce had done. She didn't know what to do. Her eyes closed as she drifted back to sleep.

Garrett hadn't slept much since last night. His mind kept taking him back to last night. He was happy being close to Kate and getting the chance to be near her. He was especially happy that Kate was smiling around him. He even got to hold her hand. Yeah she was happy that is until he kissed her. He took the opportunity to kiss her sweet lips. Her lips were sweet. They tasted like strawberries. He got the chance to kiss those sweet lips of hers. If he didn't know better, he'd swore that Kate had kissed him back. So why had she freaked out and ran away from him? Garrett realized he had pushed a little too hard. Angry at himself, he throws his pen into the hall way outside of his dorm room. He hadn't been able to focus on his work as well. Love is a complicated woman. He thought. Laurent his dorm mate is heading towards his room with coffee in his hand. He sees Garrett's door open and the pen outside of it on the floor. He goes to pick up the pen to give it back to Garrett.

"Studying hard or hardly studying?" Laurent asks making a joke.

"I'm trying to study but I can't concentrate." Garrett said to him frowning.

"Then you might need this." Laurent said handing him back his pen.

"Thanks man." Garrett said taking the pen.

"No problem. What's on your mind?" Laurent asks sitting down on Garrett's bed.

"It's nothing." Garrett said as Laurent looked at him. He knew Garrett was thinking about Kate.

"You're thinking about Kate aren't you?" Laurent asks. Garrett nods. "What happened last night?"

"That's just it, I don't know. We were having a great time. We went on the rides together, I won her prize. I even got to hold her hand on the boat ride. Then we were in the photo booth taking pictures and that's when I kissed her." Garrett said as Laurent smirked high fiving him.

"Way to go man." Laurent said happy for him.

"She totally freaked out though. That's when you guys seen her run from me. I swear to you she kissed me back. I think she likes me but I don't know why she freaked the way she did." Garrett told him.

"Maybe she's afraid to get back into another relationship after having her heart broken." Laurent offered up an explanation. He had no idea how true that was. Too a certain degree that is.

"Maybe but I feel like I screwed things up. I pushed her too far and now she probably wants nothing to do with me." Garrett said to him.

"That's not true." Laurent told him feeling sorry for his buddy.

"By the way have you seen her yet?" He asked.

"Not yet." Laurent told him.

"Ok." Garrett said sighing.

"Look, just give her little time. She'll come around." Laurent said to him. Garrett nods.

"Thanks man." Garrett told him.

"No problem bro." Laurent said to him. "Now, I'm going to drink this bad boy and study for an hour before practice."

"See you at practice." Garrett said as Laurent left his room. Laurent was right. All he needed was to give Kate sometime. He'd do just that. He decided to put his shoes on so he could head to practice. He also planned to get in an extra hour in the weight room.

Having no classes today, Alice decided to stay in and watch some TV. She hadn't really had time to just relax since the semester started a few days ago. She figured she'd better make use of it before she was busy again. Alice however wasn't watching what was on TV. She was too busy thinking about her cousin Kate. She was so worried about her and couldn't help her. Kate said she had her heart broken but most people can usually bounce back from a broken heart pretty quickly. Something else was going on and if Kate didn't say what it was, then Alice couldn't help her. Hell no one could help her. Jasper sees his girlfriend sitting on her bed with remote control in her hand. He walks into the room.

"Hey little pixie." Jasper said calling her by the knick name he gave her.

"Hey hon. Come in." Alice said to him smiling. Jasper goes over to her bed and lays next to Alice. He puts his hand over her.

"You don't have classes today?" He asked her.

"Nope. Thank god." She said to him.

"Me neither." Jasper said to her.

"What about practice?" Alice asked.

"In an hour. What are you watching?" He asked her.

"Nothing really. I was just channel surfing." Alice said as she put the remote down on the table.

"Ok. What's the matter?" Jasper asked.

"Nothing." Alice said to him.

"You thinking about Kate?" He asked.

"Yep." Alice said to him.

"Ok tell me what worries you about her?" Jasper asked her.

"I'm just worried because she's not that carefree, lovably sarcastic woman I know. She just seems like she's a shell of herself." Alice told him.

"Did you talk to her this morning?" Jasper asked.

"No. She was gone by the time I got up." Alice said to him.

"Maybe she just needs some alone time." Jasper told her.

"Maybe. She said she had her heart broken. So did I, but I got over it when I met you and things worked out." Alice told him. Jasper listened trying to understand where she's coming from.

"You think there's more going on than we know?" Jasper asked her.

"Oh yeah. I know something is wrong. I just don't know what." Alice said looking away.

"Babe, I know you're worried about Kate, everything will be fine. I promise." Jasper told her. He leans in and kisses her lips. Alice readily accepts his kiss.

Royce King, the inmate in question is doing push-ups. He's imagining what he's going to do to Kate when he sees her. This was her fault. He blamed her for every bad thing that has ever happened in his life. From his father hating his guts to the night he was arrested after assaulting her. It was all her fault. Royce had grown a gotee and his hair longer. He continued doing his pushups. His cellmate has been chewing his ear off about everything and anything. It was starting to annoy the hell out of him.

"You know you should do one handed pushups. It helps your pecks." Cellmate says. Royce ignores him and continues to do his workout. "You should do sit ups. That way your abs will look fantastic."

"Can you please shut up?" Royce asked patiently. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"Sure, sure." Cellmate said. He said as Royce continued to do his pushups. "You know what I like to do, I like to jog on the treadmill. It helps my calves."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Royce yelled. His cellmate looked at him shocked.

"I'm gonna leave you alone." His cellmate said then getting off the cot and heads outside of his cell. Royce continued doing his workout. He was glad that his cellmate left. It gave him a chance to go back to what he was doing.

Kate had gotten a bus map from the bus station and took the 15 bus enroot to group therapy. She couldn't take her mind off of what took place last night between Garrett and herself. She likes him a lot but is too afraid to do anything about it fearing she'd suffer the same fate as she did in her previous relationship. She wondered if this was normal for her. She knew that at some point attending these group sessions she was going to have to tell her story. She needed to let it out and by her not doing so only keeps her from acknowledging that it happened. Kate was one of the first ones there. She had asked Michelle if they could meet one on one. Michelle was happy to set her up with an appointment date but only if Kate spoke today in session. Kate agreed to do so.

"Ok, today we're going to listen to Kate's story. She's the only one who has spoken today. Then we'll touch basis on how everything is going. Ok." Michelle said as all the ladies agreed. "Kate go head."

"Ok, uh. My story is pretty similar to all of yours. I was attending Miami University for the last two years. I started going there when I was a freshmen. It was in the second semester of my freshmen year when I met my ex Royce. At first things seemed innocent enough. He was charming. Sweet even but behind that was masked a man who was filled with hatred and took it out on me. The first two months were fine but then he started drinking and he began to verbally abuse me. Called me all kinds of bitches, I was a slut, a whore, tramp. It hurt me so deeply. I couldn't understand why he would do this to me." Kate said as the tears begin to fall down her face. "His abuse escalated. He kept telling me that no one would love me the way he did. He said I was too skinny and he really hated blonds. I couldn't understand why he'd do this. I sat around thinking that no one would love me. I believed his words. The first time he physically beat me was when I refused to have sex with him when he was drunk. I lied to everyone about my bruises. My best friend Marlene knew better. She tried to get me to leave him but I didn't. Right before the summer came, my freshmen year had come to a close and I was happy to be going home to see my family. By this time Royce had apologized and acted like everything was ok. He wanted to come home with me to meet my family but I lied and came up with an excuse for him not to come. He left my dorm angrily." Kate said to them.

"He was mad because he could keep tabs on you while you were with your family?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah. That didn't stop him from calling me twenty-four seven. My family became annoyed with him constantly calling my phone. I tried to tell Royce that I'm with my family and not to bother me but he wouldn't listen. Finally I shut my phone off thinking that would work." Kate told them.

"Let me guess, he showed at your family's house didn't he?" Mary asked.

"Yes." Kate said. "He tried to get me to spend time with him but I wouldn't. He grabbed my arm and my brother Eli came to my rescue. If my brother hadn't come to my rescue, I don't know what would've happened to me." Kate said crying. "Royce gave me a glare before getting in his car and driving off. I knew things would be different when school started. I hadn't seen Royce on campus the first month of my sophomore year. Then he showed up to my room one night drunk. I tried to help him but that was the first time he forced himself on me. He grabbed me by my throat and held me up against the bed. He ripped my panties off and spread my legs." Kate said sobbing the tears came down faster than she could wipe them away. "He tore my hymen. I was a virgin at the time. After he was done, he passed out on top of me. I pushed him off of me and went into the bathroom and cried. I bled a lot and cleaned myself up. The next day, he sobered up and acted like nothing had ever happened. That wasn't the only time it happened. He forced me into the bathroom of the campus library and covered my mouth while he penetrated me. He raped me in the stair ways of the dorms at my own birthday party. The last time it happened was two weeks before he was expelled from school in his room. When he was expelled, I thought I was safe and I ended the relationship. I couldn't take it anymore. Two weeks before the semester ended, I had just finished prepping class for the finals when Royce attacked me. He beat me so bad I ended up in the hospital for a month." Kate said sobbing harder.

"Did the cops arrest him?" Cassie asked.

"Yes. I spoke with the detective and the DA working the case. They told me Royce was being held without bail because he was on the run from a drug charge. So he had two charges. One for assault and battery and the other was a drug charge. The DA made both charges stick. There was a court date, I testified against him. He told me that this wasn't over and that my family and I are dead." Kate said crying. "The DA thought it'd be best if I transferred schools. I transferred to Seattle University and here we are." Kate said.

"Kate, thank you for sharing your story." Michelle said sincerely to her. Kate nods wiping tears away from her face. "I know that must've been hard for you and carrying that on your shoulders must've been just as hard."

"Yes. My sisters and cousins have been asking me if I'm ok and I lie to them." Kate admitted.

"Do your sisters attend school here?" Mary asked her.

"Yes. My cousins to. They said they're concerned about me and I want to tell them but I don't know." Kate said.

"You don't tell them because of the threat Royce made?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah. I'm afraid that if they know, they'll wanna do something, especially my older brother Eli." Kate said to them. All the women in the group had sympathetic looks on their faces. Each being able to identify with Kate's story in one way or the other.

"We all can relate to what Kate has said in her story because we all have in one way or another experience being abused. Abuse is a vicious cycle. First there's the honeymoon period where everything seems fine and great. He may bring you flowers, candy romance you, wine and dine you. Then the verbal abuse starts. You're being called all kinds of names putting you down as if he didn't care about your feelings. Then he apologizes and we forgive him. Then it happens again only this time, he becomes emotionally abusive. He says you're worthless and no one will want you but him. After a while you start to believe it. Then the physical abuse starts. At first it's a slap, a shove and a punch and ends with you in the hospital. In some cases, the boyfriend or husband would sexually assault the woman. This happens because he or she, yes females can be abusive to want to show that they are the dominant person in the relationship. All of you sitting here have survived. The aftermath of the abuse is what's hardest. After being treated like crap, you try to get on with your lives. The question is how do you do that? Some of you talked about coping skills after the abuse. Mary, how have you coped since the abused?"

"I've found comfort in gardening. I got a job in a flower shop so that helps me cope." Mary said smiling. Everyone in the group nods.

"So doing flower arranging helps to you get back to feeling better about yourself?" Michelle asks. Mary nods. "Good. Cassie, what about you?"

"Well, I've found music helps me cope. I've been working on writing songs for a while now. It's helps me to tell my story that way." Cassie told them.

"Music certainly is a creative way of expressing one's self. Kate, what about you?" Michelle asked.

"I study a lot." Kate said as the group chuckles. She laughs as well. "I've also caught the eye of a classmate who has been courting me." Kate said to them. Michelle smiles at her. "I like this guy and am attracted to him but I'm worried that history will repeat it's self. I feel like what happened to me was my fault. I allowed Royce to hurt me and I just don't want it to happen again."

"Kate, what happened to you wasn't your fault. No one and I mean absolutely no one deserves to be abused. Ok." Michelle tells her. Kate nods. "As far as this new guy is concerned, take it slow. Get to know each other. If you sense that he may be an abuser, you have the right to end things. You also know the signs of abuse and how it works. Knowing the signs of abuse also helps you to identify when it's happening therefore stopping it before it gets worst." Michelle said as all the women in the group nod understanding what she means. "Now this doesn't mean you shouldn't try finding companionship. Every one of us deserve to find happiness in a new relationship but just to be aware of the person you meet and also take your time getting to know this new man, ok." Michelle said to them. The all nod. "That's it for today. I'll see you guys on Friday. Those of you interested in one on one counseling, you can call me on my cell. I can set something up next week." Michelle said passing out her business cards with her personal number on them. Kate took one and held onto it. She realized she may need to some one on one time with Michelle. She's looking forward to her one on one with Michelle.

Kate was on the bus going back to campus. She thought about what Michelle had said. The abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex wasn't her fault. She did not deserve to be harmed. She thought back to the night when Royce first forced himself on her.

Flashback

_Kate had been studying in her room. She had taken a shower to get ready for bed. She's dressed in her pink panties and long white t-shirt. Her hair was hung down past her shoulders. She was ready for bed. She removes the covers from her bed and is about to lay down when there's a loud banging on the door. Startled, she goes to the door. _

"_Who is it?" she asked._

"_Kate, open the door." Royce orders his voice slurred._

"_What the hell?" Kate said as she opened the door. Royce stood there drunk and smelled like it. His face looked horrid. His beard wreaked. "Royce what are you doing here?" She asked him._

"_Hey babe. I wanted to see my gurrrrlll." Royce said his words slurred. He pushes past her stumbling into her room._

"_Royce, you need to sober up." Kate said to him. She had closed the door. Royce was sitting on the bed looking rank. She goes over to him and stands in front of him. Kate hated to see him like this. She knew how he was when he was drunk. "Are you ok?"_

"_I'm fine sexy." Royce said to her. Kate rolled her eyes. Just yesterday he had called her a skinny bitch after being so mad for whatever reason. _

"_You should lie down and sober up. I'll sleep on my sofa." She said to him. _

'_No, you'll sleep with me." Royce demands grabbing her arm. He pulls her into him. "Come here baby." He said standing up trying to kiss Kate._

"_Royce no stop. You're drunk." Kate said to him. _

"_COME HERE!" Royce said more firmly. He grabs her waste and shifts around so that Kate's body is facing the bed. Royce shoves Kate onto the bed. _

"_Royce stop please." Kate begged trying to fight him off of her._

"_No, you're my bitch." Royce said as he grabs her by the throat and uses his body to lean into her while removing her panties. He grabs Kate's left leg separating it from the other. Kate tries to scream but can't because he's got his hand around her throat while the other one unbuckles his pants. He pulled them down as much as possible exposing his erection. He shoved his cock into Kate's pussy penetrating her. Kate tried scream as the pain surged through her vagina. She had never had sex before and wasn't going to give herself to Royce. Here was taking what she held dear to her. "OH FUCK YES." He groaned as his cock torture Kate's pussy causing her great pain. She felt her hymen tear apart. Blood gushed from her cunt along with precum. Kate's body was reacting to what was happening. She was in shock. Never in a million years had she imagined Royce raping her. Royce felt himself about to explode as he humped Kate violently. His body shook as his orgasm hit. He came inside of her. Once he was done, he passed out on top of her. Kate shoved him off of her. Royce hit the floor with a thump, his pants is open with his cock hanging out. Kate gets up and rushes to the bathroom and shuts the door. She begins to cry._

_End Of Flashback_

Kate's face was lit with tears. Her phone had rang taking her away from her thoughts.

"Hello." Kate answered her voice cracking.

She fights back a sniffle.

"Hey little sis." Eleazar can be heard saying over the phone.

"Hey." Kate said faking a smile. She wiped away her tears. She didn't want her brother asking questions. "How you doing?"

"I'm good. Working hard, trying to stay out of trouble. What about you?" Eleazar asked. He could tell something was wrong with Kate.

"I'm ok." Kate said.

"Katie, I can tell something's wrong. What's going on?" He asked her.

"Oh nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Kate lies to him. She wondered why he'd call her. He never really called her unless it was important. One her sisters called him.

"You sound like you've crying. What's wrong? Did someone mess wit you?" Eleazar asked worried.

"No no one had been messing with me. I'm just fighting a cold." She lied smoothly. She was getting pretty good at that. "Who called you to check up on me?"

"No one." Eleazar said to her. Now he was lying through his teeth and Kate saw right through it. "Can't I just check in to see how you're doing?"

"Who called you?" Kate asked more firmly. She wasn't in the mood for this right now.

"Irina called me." Eleazar finally said. "She said she and Tanya are concerned about you but don't know what's going on with you."

"I'm gonna tell you what I keep telling them, I'm fine. I wish everyone would just back off." Kate said raising her voice.

"Hey, hey calm down. We're you're family and are concerned when we know something is wrong. If you don't wanna talk about it fine but don't raise your voice to me." Eleazar said firmly frowning over the phone. He could hear Kate sigh.

"I'm sorry bro, I'm tired of repeating myself." Kate said to him.

"I get it broken hearts can be a pain in the ass but don't hold onto that. Talk about it. It may help you." Eleazar said to her. It was odd that he'd say that seeing as though she had come from a group counseling session. He didn't know that though.

"I know you're right." Kate said saying just about anything to get her over protective brother off the phone. "I'm heading to my next class. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, you sure you're ok?" He asked. He didn't care how mad Kate got at him. He was going to keep asking.

"Yes I'm fine." Kate said to him.

"Alright, I'll talk you later." Eleazar said to her. Love you."

"Love you to. Bye." Kate said as she and Eleazar hung up the phone.

Garrett is on his way towards the campus café to grab a bite to eat. He wondered how he had an appetite. He couldn't take his mind off the kiss he planted on Kate's sweet lips. He brought a coffee and sat down at one of the tables. He wasn't sure what he was having and if thought about it a moment, he'd figure out what he wants. He didn't regret kissing Kate. He only regretted her reaction. Maybe the timing of the kiss was wrong. He certainly didn't want to rush Kate into a relationship with him but he couldn't help himself. He's a guy in love. He was also starting to think that Kate didn't like him. He sighed taking a sip of his coffee.

"I've got a major bone to pick with you." Tanya said angrily as she walked into the campus café glaring at him. Garrett looked up to see her coming his way.

"Tanya." Garrett called to her.

"Don't Tanya me. What did you do to my sister?" Tanya asked angrily.

"I didn't do anything to her." Garrett said defending himself.

"Then why the hell did she run away like that?" Tanya asked practically yelling at him.

"I'm gonna tell you what I told Laurent. All I did was kiss her on the lips. She freaked out and ran away." Garrett told her.

"I'm really worried about her Garrett." Tanya told him softening up. Garrett softened up.

"I know you are. Look, I really like Kate. A lot. I don't know why she freaked out on me but she did." Garrett told her.

"Well, I'm gonna get to the bottom of it." Tanya said to him. "See you later." She said then taking off. Garrett sighed deeply.

Kate makes her way into the café. She had seen Tanya in there moment's ago and waited until she left to avoid Tanya asking all the same questions. She couldn't take it. Besides, she wanted to speak with Garrett alone. She needed to apologize for running out on him. He didn't see her come into the café. He was too engrossed in his own thoughts. She smiled warmly at him. She could tell he was thinking about the kiss and was kicking himself for pushing things with her. She went over to him.

"Hey." She said as he looked over.

"Kate hey." Garrett said to her smiling. "Do you wanna join me?" He asked.

"Sure." Kate said to him as he got up and held out her chair. She smiled seeing gentlemen in him. Kate said down. Garrett sat back in his original seat. "I wanna apologize for running out on you the way I did." She said to him.

"I was starting to think you didn't like me." Garrett said to her. Kate smiles at him. "I like you a lot Kate and I want to be with you. I know you had your heart broken and I'm sorry about that but I really want to make you happy. I thought that I had ruined things between us when I kissed you." He explained. "I'll understand if you don't like me and want nothing to do with me."

"Garrett, that's not true. In fact, I think you're a great guy. You're smart, funny, hot." She explains as Garrett smiles. She thought he was hot. That's a good sign. "I'm falling in love with you. I'm fearful that history will repeat itself. I don't want to be hurt again." She said to him. She was almost afraid to look him as she felt tears build up in her eyes. Kate was more vulnerable than she had been in a long time. Garrett's smirk disappeared. Being impulsive, he got up from his chair and went over to Kate's he gently took her hand in his. She stood up from the table. Both stared into each other's eyes. Garrett leans forward and kisses her lips. Kate is shocked by the kiss but not totally surprised as she has wanted a second chanced to kiss him. Now she has it and wasn't about to let this go. Garrett is surprised because Kate doesn't run. In fact, she deepens the kiss. Garrett wraps his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. Kate runs her hands through his hair while they make out. Some of the patrons watched. Others went about their business. Sitting at a booth in the back were Jasper and Alice who smiled. Alice was happy to see her cousin is finally moving on with her life. Was this the start of something beautiful?


	6. Normalcy

True Love

Chapter Six

Normalcy

Kate is in her room getting ready for her date with Garrett. She couldn't take her mind off the kiss he planted on her the day before. There she was apologizing to him for running out on him the other night. Garrett was surprisingly understanding about it. Of course he didn't know the real reason she had ran away from him. All she knew was that he was ok with it and then had kissed her deeply. Kate surprised herself when she kissed him back. There they were making out in front of people in the café. Neither of them cared though. It was a romantic scene like something right out of a movie. Kate smiled continuing to get dressed. She had accepted Garrett's invitation to go out with him. It was a good way for them to get closer. She had showered and is wearing her pink panties and bra set. She decided to put on her tight blue jeans that showed off her cute ass, her pink and white blouse which barely hid her perky breast and her pink flats. It was a beautiful day out so why not? She's in the middle of brushing her hair when there's a knock at her door.

"Come in." Kate said still brushing her hair.

"So this date is happening huh?" Tanya asked. She was standing at the door. Kate turns around smiling at her. Tanya makes her way into Kate's room and sits on the bed.

"Yes. It's happening." Kate said smiling. "How did you find out?"

"Riley told me. He said that Garrett came to his room all excited that he finally has a date with the lovely Kate Denali." Tanya said as Kate chuckled at that. Tanya smirked. "He also said that he got the chance to kiss you again and this time you didn't run away." Tanya adds as they smile.

"No I didn't." Kate said smiling.

"So how was it?" Tanya asked her. Both talking like they use to do.

"It was amazing. Garrett has great lips and he's so gentle with me." Kate said blushing. Tanya laughs. "He's so hot." She said as Tanya continued to laugh like they were two high school girls gossping.

"I'm really happy for you." Tanya said to her. "I'm glad to see you're finally moving on with your life."

"I really like Garrett and I'm falling in love with him. I just don't want to get hurt again." Kate said to her.

"Well I've known Garrett awhile now and he's not the type of guy to hurt someone. He's a sweetheart and a gentlemen." Tanya said as Kate nods agreeing. "I'm glad you're talking to me again." She adds.

"It's not that I didn't want to talk to you about it, it's just that I wanted to move on with my life and not think about my broken heart. I just want some normalcy in my life. I want to feel normal again. Does that make sense?" Kate asks smiling. She didn't know that if what she was explaining made sense to her sister. Tanya looked on knowing exactly what she means.

"Of course I do." Tanya said to her. "Well hopefully going on this date with Garrett will take your mind off things and who knows, Garrett maybe the perfect guy for you." She adds as Kate blushes smiling. The two sisters continued to talk and Tanya helped Kate get ready for her date.

Garrett is in his room getting ready for his date with the lovely Kate Denali. He smiled to himself happy at the fact that he's getting the opportunity to spend time with her. He was even surprised by the fact that when he kissed her for a second time, she didn't run away. Instead she kissed him back deepening the kiss. Yeah Kate definitely wanted him and he wanted her. No doubt about it. He had arranged a wonderful day for the two to share together. He knew she'd like it. Garrett took a shower and his now putting his socks. His prick danced around his pants happy as if aware of the date he's going on. From the day he first met Kate, he didn't just like her, there's a physical attraction there as well. She's beautiful and hot. Garrett stared at Kate sizing her up. His eyes locked on her breast and ass. Every time he thought about her in that way he'd get a severe hard on. Laurent had told him that if he masturbated before a date, he wouldn't be too focused on fucking. It worked. Garrett had masturbated while in the shower and his mind is clear. He can focus on getting to know Kate before they're relationship becomes physical. He puts on his blue jeans, white tank top underneath his blue and white plad button down shirt and his black dress slacks. There's a knock on his door.

"Come in." He said with his back to the door. The door opens to reveal Laurent.

"Hey Gar, need to borrow your notes for class." Laurent said staring at him shocked. "Woow, dude you look cool."

"Thanks man." Garrett said to him smiling.

"You got a hot date or something?" Laurent asked.

"Yes with Kate Denali." Garrett said to him.

"No fucking way! Really?" Laurent asked shocked.

"Yes." Garrett said to him.

"That's awesome man. So where are you taking her?" Laurent asked.

"I've got this whole day planned for the two of us. It starts with brunch at the Pier, then a boat ride, then it's a quick bite where I planned for us to share some food before going to see a movie. After the movie we'll get some ice cream before bringing her back to her room." Garrett told him.

"Damn dude, that does sound romantic." Laurent said as Garrett nods. "I'm happy for you bro. I'm glad you finally asked Kate out."

"Thanks man. Oh and check it out, we kissed again. This time she didn't run away." Garrett told him.

"NICE!" Laurent said smiling. Garrett reached over and handed Laurent his notes for class. "Thank you. I'm gonna leave you to finish getting ready for your date. Tell me about it later." He leaves Garrett's room.

"Ok." Garrett said as he brushes his hair. He put his jacket on, grabbed his car keys, wallet and then left his room.

At the correctional facility in Miami, Royce is standing on line waiting to use the pay phone. He couldn't stop thinking about this potential escape from this hell hole he was in. He needed help if he was going to escape. He knew just the person to help him out with his plan. If he could just use the phone. His roommate was still on the phone chatting about god knows what. Royce didn't give a fuck what he was talking about. All he knew was that he needed to use the phone. Royce rolled his eyes trying to be patient but his patience was wearing thin where his roommate was concerned.

"Bro, can you hurry the fuck up. I need to use the fucking phone." Royce said aggravated.

"Ok. I'll call you later hon." The roommate said then hung up the phone. "It's yours now." He said then walking away.

"Thank you." Royce said sarcastically before taking the receiver and dialing a number. He waited for the person to answer on the other line.

"Hello." Came a male voice.

"Hey Cam, it's Royce." Royce said to him smiling.

"Royce, hey brother how you doing?" Cameron asked.

"I'm in hell. Thanks for asking." Royce said sarcastically.

"I heard you're in jail." Cameron asked.

"You heard right. Listen we need to meet. I need to talk to you about something. I'd prefer to do it in person." Royce told him.

"Ok." Cameron said. "Tell me where you are." He said as Royce gave him the address to where he is. Cameron was the only person who hadn't written him off. Of course Cameron didn't know where he was. Cameron was also a bit naïve and always thought Royce was so cool. He's been the only person who had his back during the trial. He'd go to check on his buddy.

"See you soon bro." Royce said before hanging up. He smiled thinking that his plan will come along soon enough and Kate Denali will die.

Garrett had gone to Kate's room to pick her up. They headed to his car and like a gentlemen he held the door to the passenger seat for Kate who gets in carrying her purse. He then got into the driver's side of the door and then drove off. Kate had badgered him about where they were going. Garrett smiled telling her it was a surprise. His car pulled up the parking lot near the pier.

"Where are we?" Kate asked smiling.

"We are at the pier. It's a beautiful setting for brunch and a boat ride." Garrett said to her smiling. He takes Kate's hand escorting her out of the car then closing the car door. Garrett held Kate's hand as they made their way up the walk way ramp towards the Pier's restaurant. The pier is located near the water. In front of is the greeter.

"May I help you sir and madam?" The greeter said.

"Yes, reservation for two please." Garrett said holding Kate's waste.

"Your name sir?"

"Garrett Parker." Garrett said as the greeter glanced at the book and saw the reservation.

"Aw Mr. Parker, right this way." The greeter said as he escorted Kate and Garrett to a table for two. Garrett held out Kate's chair as she sat down. Garrett then took his seat. "A waiter will be by to take your orders in a moment."

"Thank you." Kate said as the greeter nods as he walks away. "This place is amazing."

"It is." Garrett said to her.

"How often have you come here?" Kate asks.

"I came here a few times. Actually, Emmett, Edward, Riley, Laurent and I came here for Riley's birthday. It was sort of a guy's night out kind of thing." He explains. Kate smiles at him. "Did I mention how beautiful you look today?"

"No you didn't." Kate teased smiling at him.

"Well you look incredible." Garrett said to her smiling.

"Thank you. You look handsome yourself." Kate said to him.

"Why thank you." Garrett said. "I'm glad that you're out here with me."

"Me to." Kate said to him smiling.

"So Kate, what are your hobbies when you aren't studying?" Garrett asked.

"Well let's see. I like to read, I love write stories, I like painting to." Kate said to him.

"Interesting. What kind of stories do you write?" He asked her.

"I write poetry and fiction. I love reading Jackie Collins books." Kate said to him.

"Her books are definitely a good read. Especially, LA Connection. I loved that book." Garrett said to her. Kate's eyes lit up.

"I thought I was the only one who loved that book." Kate said to him. Garrett smiled. "What about you? Other than football, what are your hobbies?"

"I like surfing, swimming, basketball, martial arts and I like play volley ball." Garrett said. Kate was impressed.

"You never told me you were into martial arts." Kate said to him.

"Yeah, I took Tae Kwan Do when I was seven." Garrett told her.

"How far did you get?" Kate asked.

"I earned my black belt when I was twelve and competed in a few tournaments but I also loved playing sports. My parents wanted to keep me active. So I was." Garrett told her. "What about kind of sports are you into?"

"Well volley ball is fun. I only played softball though." Kate told him. Garrett stared at her. "What?"

"I'll bet you're a terrific softball player." He told her.

"I was ok. I was the best pitcher on my team. Tanya and Irina were on the team as well." Kate told him.

"Really?" Garrett asked shocked. He suspected Tanya was a pretty good athlete but Irina?

"Yeah. Tanya is an excellent first basement and Irina is a pretty good shortstop." Kate said to him.

"Wow. That is awesome." Garrett said. The waiter came by and took their orders. Kate ordered a veggie omelet with a tea while Garrett ordered the veggie burrito with coffee. They continued their conversation. Garrett asked her about her favorite color which was pink. He revealed his color was blue. They talked about their favorite foods, beverages, likes, dislikes etc. Both smiled enjoying each other's company. After brunch, the two boarded the boat to go on a tour of Seattle. While on the tour, Garrett put his arm around Kate's waste. She leans into him smiling causing him to smile as well. She didn't know why but she felt safe with him and hoped that proved to be a good thing. He held her in his arms for the rest of the boat ride.

Tanya is in the lounge with Riley, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Bella and Edward. All are talking randomly while a movie played on the TV. Tanya is lying on one of the love sofas with Riley lying in between her legs. His head is on her stomach and she runs her fingers through his hair. Jasper is lying Alice's lap in the other love sofa. Rosalie and Bella are laying the chests of Emmett and Edward.

"I hate horror movies." Alice said out loud.

"Why?" Bella asks.

"Because she's a chicken." Rosalie said as they chuckled.

"Haha." Alice said. "I'm not a chicken, it's just boring and way too much blood for my liking."

"Chicken." Emmett and Edward said as the laughed. Alice gave them a slight frown before turning back to the movie. She looked around and noticed that Garrett, Kate, Irina and Laurent weren't there. "Hey where are Kate and Irina?"

"Irina is with Laurent." Riley asked.

"Well we know what they're doing." Bella said as they laughed. Edward pinched her ass. "Hey. What was that for?" She said smirking.

"Don't say about my cousin." Edward said to her.

"Yeah Bells, we don't need Eli kicking our ass." Emmett said to her. Edward nods agreeing.

"She'll be fine." Alice said to them. "Kate, where is she?"

"She's on a date with Garrett." Tanya said smiling.

"YEAH!" They cheered.

"About time." Emmett said as he and Edward high fived.

"Why is that you two hate that Irina is with Laurent but clap for the Kate dating Garrett?" Rosalie asked.

"Because Garrett and Kate are great together. Garrett is nice, smart and treats woman like pieces of meat." Emmett said.

"Yeah and Laurent is a fucking pig in slacks. He'll fuck anything in a skirt." Edward said as they laughed. Riley chuckled.

"That is so not nice." Alice said.

"It's true though." Riley adds. Tanya laughs while nodding agreeing with her boyfriend. Tanya's cell phone rings. It's on the coffee table by Riley. "Babe, you're phone is ringing."

"Can you hand it to me please?" Tanya asks.

"Sure." Riley said reaching over and grabbing her cell phone. He then hands it to her.

"Thanks." Tanya said then pressing the green button to answer her phone. "Hello."

"He sis it's Eli." Eleazar said.

"Hey bro. What's going on?" Tanya asked him. Emmett and Edward looked over at her. Alice smirked.

"Nothing much. Was just calling to check up on my sisters and cousins." Eleazar said to her. "How are things?"

"Things are fine." Tanya said. "I'm on dorm with my boyfriend, Edward, Emmett and Alice. Their girlfriends and boyfriend are with us."

"Where's Irina?" Eleazar asked.

"She's somewhere on campus." Tanya told her. "You know how she is."

"Yeah I do. Where's Katie?" Eleazar asked calling Kate by her knick name.

"She's on a date with a great guy name Garrett Parker." Tanya said smiling as everyone in the room cheered.

"Who's this Garrett guy? Is he treating her right?" Eleazar asked pulling the big brother card. He was always protective of his sisters.

"Relax, Garrett is a nice guy. He's perfect for Kate." Tanya told him.

"Well alright." Eleazar said. "I'm a let you go cause I'm taking Carmen shopping. Jesus." He said sighing. Tanya laughed.

"You know you like shopping." Carmen can be heard saying in the background. Tanya laughed again.

"Later sis." Eleazar said.

"Later." Tanya said hanging up her phone smiling.

Laurent had picked Irina up from her last class and took her back to her dorm. Irina wanted a little food but Laurent wanted to have sex with her. He told her they'd eat after woods. He knew Irina wanted to have sex with him but was being cautious. She didn't just want to give it up after meeting a guy but she was horny. Laurent had gotten her on the bed as the two made out while dropping their backpacks on the floor. Laurent's hands were all over Irina's body. She moaned as his hands are all over her breasts and waste. She moaned as Laurent's tongue worked the small of her neck. Laurent's hand found its way towards her bare legs. Irina stops him suddenly. Laurent looked down at her.

"What's wrong love?" He asked her.

"I think we should stop." Irina said to him.

"Why what's the matter?" Laurent asks.

"I just think we should slow down a little that's all." Irina said to him. Laurent looked a little put off by this. Irina caught his reaction and wondered if he really wanted to be with her or was this just about sex.

"Irina what's really bothering you?" Laurent asked her sincerely. She didn't answer. "Come on, don't you like me?"

"Of course I do." Irina said to him.

"Then what's the problem?" Laurent asks rubbing her arm. He's still on top of her.

"I fear that you may leave me if we go all the way and I really like you." Irina said to him.

"I'm not going to leave you." Laurent said to her. He's used that line a dozen of times to get what he wants.

"Promise me?" Irina asked.

"I promise." He said as she smiled. Irina is naïve. The two began kissing again this time Irina made the move of taking Laurent's shirt off. He followed by removing her blouse. Irina took her bra off exposing her breasts. Laurent removed his pants exposing his rock hard cock. Irina was impressed with his size. Both climbed into her bed naked and proceed to make love.

Garrett and Kate had arrived back to the Pier after their boat ride. The ride was very romantic. Garrett held Kate the entire ride showing her all kinds of sites. The two talked about other things that interest them. Garrett and Kate decided to go for a walk on the beach not before grabbing some fries from a nearby vendor. The two found a spot in the sand. Garrett took his jacket off and placed it on the sand. He and Kate sat down on his jacket to enjoy their fries. Kate smiled having the time of her life. She hadn't smiled this much in a long time and it felt good. It felt good to be with Garrett.

"That boat ride was so amazing." Kate comments.

"I knew you'd like it." Garrett said smiling. Kate smiles at him while putting a fry into her mouth.

"Seattle is a beautiful city." Kate said looking around nervously. Garrett smiles knowing how nervous he makes her. It's good to know he could make her feel this way. It met that she really did like him.

"Not as beautiful as you." Garrett said to her. Kate smiles at him again and then looks down at the fries. "So tell me Kate, what kind of movies do you like?"

"Oh there are so many but I love romantic movies. I love the whole love conquers all scenario. It makes for great TV." Kate said to him.

"Do you believe in true love?" Garrett asks her.

"Yeah I guess. I've never experienced it." Kate said to him.

"Until now?" He asks. She nods. He smiles as Kate reaches for another French fry.

"Now this is a long one." Kate comments as she pulls the French fry from container.

"A long one huh?" Garrett asks smirking. Kate burst out laughing. "Look at that thing. It looks longer than a bugger." He comments as Katie laughs at his joke. Garrett laughs as well. Kate playfully tosses it at Garrett who ducked. He tries to take her fries and she playfully slaps his hand. He uses the other one and steals a fry from the container. Both continued to laugh.

After sharing a container of fries on the beach, Garrett and Kate walked to the local movie theatre that was about two or three blocks away from his car that's still parked in the parking lot of the pier. They held hands while walking towards the theatre. Garrett brought two tickets to a romantic movie. The two sat together while the movie played. Garrett put his arm around Kate's shoulder. She leaned into him snuggling up against his chest. This was the perfect first date between the two. Who knew may true love really does exist.

Cameron sat at the table waiting on his friend to show up. Cam as he is called was about the only friend Royce had. He was the only one who hadn't given up on Royce. No matter how much Royce picked on him, he still stuck by him. Royce probably wouldn't admit it out loud but Cam was like a brother to him and the only one he truly considered a friend. Cam would do anything Royce asked of him. Even if it met committing a crime, he'd do it. He sat patiently waiting for the guard. He wondered what Royce wanted to talk to him about. Cam was about to find out because he saw the security guard bring Royce to his table.

"Royce, how's it going man?" Cam said smiling at him.

"I'm in this hell hole." Royce said as the two shook hands and sat down. "How are things with you?"

"Ok I guess. I got a job. Nothing to sneeze at though." Cam said.

"Listen the reason I called you bro is because I need your help." Royce told him. He leans in so that the guard couldn't hear what he was about to tell Cam.

"No problem bro. I gotcha back. What's up?" Cam asked.

"I need you to locate my bitch of an ex." Royce told him.

"Kate?" Cam asked. Royce nods. "Ok but why?"

"Because we have some unfinished business." Royce told him.

"Ok so what happened to her?" Cam asked.

"She disappeared and I don't know where she might've gone. I need to find her. Go to the Miami University campus, she had a friend on campus name Marlene Barnes. Find Marlene's room and search for anything that can help me find Kate. If you can't find anything in Marlene's room then break into the main building where the keep the records. Find out if they still anything on where Kate is." Royce told him.

"Ok." Cam said mentally remembering what Royce is asking. He couldn't write anything down because the guards would see it.

"Then once I know where Kate is, we will talk about my escape. I'm working on that. I'll let you know when and where to pick me up." Royce told him.

"Ok. I can do this. Don't worry I'll find her for you." Cam said to him.

"Thanks buddy." Royce said to him. The two stood up and shook hands before he exits. Royce smiled wickedly. Phase one his plan was complete. He'd take care of his escape later. For now, he'd continue his scheming.

After her romp hump with Laurent, Irina had decided to get her mind off of him. Laurent had left her room shortly after. She felt a little weird after woods. Sure the sex was great, fantastic even but she that wasn't the reason she felt weird about it. She felt as though this was what Laurent wanted and that he'd dump her after woods. Irina decided to do the one thing she doesn't often do to clear her mid. She went to the library to study. She is seated at a table with her notebook computer staring at the screen. She hadn't been concentrating at all. Irina certainly wasn't the brainiac of her sisters. She was the wild one. Tanya was the levelheaded one while Kate was the brains. She hated studying. How she got by was unknown to her. She sighs deeply trying to concentrate and finding difficult to do so.

"Didn't figure you for a study bird." Alice can be heard saying to her. Alice had gone to the library to pick up her book for her class. She needed it to study since Jasper fell asleep after their love making. It seemed like a theme of the day. The only couple not to have made love was Kate and Garrett.

"Hey cuz." Irina said looking up at Alice somberly. "I was just trying to study."

"And?" Alice asks going over to sit at the table across from her.

"And failing miserably." Irina said to her.

"What's the matter?" Alice asks.

"I just feel weird." Irina told her. Alice laughs.

"Why are you laughing?" Irina asked her.

"Because you said you feel." Alice said.

"Why's that funny?" Irina asks.

"You know just realizing you're weird?" Alice asked jokingly as Irina smirked. Alice laughs.

"Haha." Irina said to her. "That's not it. I just feel weird after having sex." Irina said as Alice stopped laughing.

"Oh my god you had sex with Laurent?" Alice asked raising her voice.

"SHHH, not so loud." Irina said. "I don't want anyone else to know."

"When did you and Laurent do the nasty?" Alice asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

"A couple of hours ago. He left my room right after." Irina said to her.

"Wow." Alice said shocked. "How was it?" She asked smirking. Irina smiled.

"It was amazing. He has the biggest…" She stops herself as she and Alice laugh.

"Ok. So why do you feel weird about it?" Alice asks.

"I just feel like although the sex was great, I think that's all he was after. Laurent didn't want a girlfriend, he just wanted to fuck me. Now that we did it, he may not want to date me anymore." Irina said.

"So what do you want to do?" Alice asks.

"I don't want my sisters knowing that's for sure." Irina said to her.

"Well I'm not telling them.

"Where are my sisters anyway?" Irina asked.

"Tanya is with Riley in his room. The two had a little romp of their own. Kate is with Garrett on a date." Alice told her.

"That's awesome. I'm so happy for my sis." Irina cooed. "Can't wait to find out what happened."

"Me neither and since we living on the same dormitory, I'll find out first." Alice said to her. Irina shook her head smiling.

After the romantic movie, Garrett and Kate decided to get a little dessert. It had been the perfect first date for the two. They enjoyed each other's company. They stopped at a local Haagan-Daz ice-cream parlor and brought two cones. Garrett had Vanilla while Kate brought Strawberry. The two are walking and talking while eating their ice cream.

"I love Haagan Daz ice cream." Kate said to him.

"Yeah they always seem to make the best desserts." Garrett said to her. "So Kate tell me, why did you and your ex break up?" He asked her. Kate was silent for a moment contemplating on whether to talk about that. Garrett waited for her to speak. She finally decides to speak.

"We broke up because he cheated on me." Kate lied smoothly. "He didn't want me and I just decided that I wouldn't be with a man who didn't want me." She said to him. She didn't want Garrett to know all the nasty things Royce had done to her. She didn't want him to know how badly he had hurt her.

"Well his loss becomes my gain." Garrett said looking at her. Kate smiled at him.

"What about you?" Kate asked him.

"Well, my ex and I stopped seeing each other because she went off to a different school. Our freshmen year of college, we called and texted each other on a regular then her last text was of her telling me that she could no longer see me and thought it be best if we broke up. I found out she was seeing someone else." Garrett said somberly. Kate watched him a moment. She could see he really did care about his ex but she didn't care about him enough to make their relationship work.

"I'm sorry." Kate said to him.

"It's cool. I guess it's a blessing that way." Garrett said taking a lick of his ice cream.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked as she licks her ice cream.

"Because our exes dumped us, we found each other." Garrett said to her. Kate smiles at him.

"In deed we did." She said smiling.

"Kate, I vow to make you happy. You deserve that." Garrett said to her.

"You deserve to be happy to." Kate responds.

"I am when I'm with you." He said to her. She smiles at him. He feeds Kate some of his ice cream. She does the same. Both smile lovingly at each other. The butterflies in their stomachs pitter patter as the two realize they are very much in love. She playfully touches his nose with her ice cream then chuckles. Garrett smirks.

"Watch this." He said then using his own tongue licking the ice cream off his nose. Kate laughs.

Garrett escorts Kate back to her room. The two are standing at her door. She smiles at him. He takes her hands in his.

"I had a wonderful time." Kate said to him.

"Me to." Garrett told her.

"You made my day." Kate said to him.

"It was the perfect first date." Garrett said to her. Kate smiles at him. "I met what I said about making you happy."

"I know." Kate said to him. "And you should be happy to."

"Then we can be happy together." Garrett told her his face inches from hers.

"Ok." Kate said her voice barely over a whisper. Garrett leans in and kisses her deeply. Kate kisses him back. Her arms move around his neck pulling him into her. Garrett responds by deepening the kiss. His arms are around her waist. The two are making out in front of her door. Kate pulls back but Garrett steals a few more kisses from her. "Wow." She said as both laughed leaned their foreheads together.

"I should get going." Garrett said to her.

"Ok." Kate said. Both reluctantly pulled away from each other. Kate was about to use her key to open up the door but Garrett takes the key from her and opens her door for her. Being the gentlemen that he is, he didn't mind it. "Thank you, for the evening and opening my door." Kate said smiling at him.

"My pleasure. I would love go out with you again." Garrett said to her.

"I'd like that." Kate said to him.

"Since we have class tomorrow, how about I pick you up and we can go together?" Garrett asked.

"Ok." Kate said to him. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Garrett said to her.

"Bye." Kate said going into her room and shutting the door. Garrett turned and left her dorm. Both had huge smiles on their faces. Yeah it was definitely the perfect first date.


	7. Solo Counseling

True Love

Chapter Seven

Solo Counseling

The day after her date with Garrett, Kate had woken up a new woman. She had gotten to sleep late while thinking about her date with Garrett. She couldn't stop smiling. The date was amazing. It was by far the best date she's ever been on. She's been on some good dates with Royce but they all weren't compared to the one she was on last night with Garrett. With Royce it was always _if I take you out tonight you owe_ _me _as to where with Garrett he wasn't expecting anything in return. He was enjoying spending time with her. That was biggest difference between Garrett and Royce. Garrett is a nice and caring guy. Royce on the other was a sadistic psycho who got off on hurting woman. Kate shook her head of the thoughts and took a quick shower. She got dressed for her morning class. Garrett would be by to pick her up. Once she was dressed with her books in her hand, she heard a knock at her door. Sure enough it was Garrett. The two smiled at each other while heading to class. Garrett took a seat right next to Kate. The two were each other's study partner and worked on an assignment in class. He even answered a question correctly. When the professor asked him how he came up with that answer, he said his girlfriend told him. The class laughed including Kate who the professor figured was his girlfriend. The professor looked at Kate and said "Nice job Ms. Denali." The class laughed again. Kate had sometime in between classes and had an appointment to meet with Michelle for her one on one. She asked Garrett if he could drive her there. He said ok. Both headed towards his car and he drove her to Michelle's office building. It was not the same location where Kate had her group counseling. The building was located in downtown Seattle. Garrett was all too happy to drive his girl anywhere she wanted to go. Once there, Garrett told Kate that he couldn't pick her up because had a class. Kate understood and said that she'd call Tanya. Both kissed each other before she got out of his car. Kate is seated in the waiting area of Michelle's office. Michelle opens the door.

"Kate, come on in." Michelle said as Kate is escorted into the office. Kate takes a seat on the chair across from Michelle. "How are you today?" she asked.

"I'm good. I'm great." Kate said smiling. Michelle smiled to. She could see a difference in Kate from the first time they met.

"I can see that. What's changed?" Michelle asks.

"Garrett." Kate said smiling as she said his name. Michelle saw this.

"Tell me about him." Michelle asks.

"He's tall, handsome, gorgous, bright an incredible athlete. I'm falling in love with him." Kate said to her.

"He sounds charming." Michelle said.

"He is." Kate said.

"But…" Michelle asked sensing Kate had more to tell.

"But I'm worried that Garrett would hurt me the same way Royce did and I don't want to be hurt again." Kate said looking down.

"I see." Michelle said. "One change I noticed in you Kate was the fact that you seem to be smiling a lot more. I can guess that Garrett is the reason you're smiling more." Michelle said as Kate nods. "I also notice that you called your ex by his name. Royce." Kate nods again.

"I remembered you saying that the way to get past what happened was to acknowledge that it happened." Kate said as Michelle nods.

"Yes that's right." Michelle said to her. "How are you coping now with what happened?"

"I find myself studying, spending time with my sisters, my cousins and their friends. Then there's Garrett."

"How does he make you feel?" Michelle asked.

"He makes me feel so special. Like he only has eyes for me. He's gentle with me and always asks my permission to do something with me. I find myself comparing him to Royce. Is that normal?" Kate asks.

"Of course. All women compare their current partner to their ex. It's pretty common. Can you tell me the difference in both men?" Michelle asked.

"Well Royce would always be in charge. He would say we're going to this place or that place and we never really did anything I wanted to do. It was always his way. I went on a date with Garrett yesterday and it was so romantic. We ate brunch at the Pier, then went on a boat ride, then we walked on the beach, we even shared French fries together. Then we saw a romantic movie and ate ice cream. It was the perfect date."

"Royce hadn't done things like that for you?" Michelle asked.

"No." Kate said. "Royce's idea of romance was to rape me when he felt horny." Kate said.

"So is Royce in jail?" Michelle asks.

"Yes. He's locked up back in Miami. I just want to move on with my life and not compare Garrett to Royce." Kate said. "He's not Royce. In fact he's ten times the man Royce would ever be. I just don't want to get hurt again."

"Well, the best thing to do is focus on building a relationship with Garrett. He seems a nice enough guy from what you tell me about him. Royce is your past, Garrett seems to be your future so focus on that." Michelle told her. Kate nods smiling. Michelle was right. Royce is her past and that's where Kate wants him to stay. She would focus her energy on building a relationship with Garrett. "Kate, you mentioned you attend the same school as your sisters and cousins, do they know about the abuse?"

"No. I haven't told them and I don't want them to know." Kate said.

"Why not?" Michelle asked.

"Well Royce threatened to kill me and my family. I won't let them die for me. I don't think I can handle that." Kate said.

"I understand but I also get the sense that there's another reason you don't want them knowing about the abuse." Michelle told her. Kate looked away.

"I feel ashamed and embarrassed about what happened to me." Kate said. "I don't want them judging me."

"Do you think they'd be concerned about you?" Michelle.

"Maybe, I don't know. My parents have always had a wonderful relationship and love each other. I want what they have. My sister Tanya has been with her boyfriend since their freshmen year of college. My older brother Eli is married to his high school sweet heart. I just want to have someone who will love me and care for me. Royce wasn't that guy. I don't think my family would understand what I went through. I'm so afraid of telling them not just to keep them safe but because I don't want them to hate me or judge me." Kate said to her Michelle understood her what Kate was saying. The shame, the self loathing and self blame was something she experienced herself.

"Do you really believe that they'd hate you because of what Royce did to you?" Michelle asked. Kate shrugs. She doesn't know what to think. She's never had to deal with something like this until now. "Kate, your family may not know what you went through but I can guarantee you one thing, they love and care about you and want what's best for you. By keeping them in the dark, they can't help you cope with what happened." Michelle told her. Kate thought about that for a moment. She was right. Her family at the very least needed to know the truth but Kate wasn't ready to tell them yet.

Marlene Briggs is walking towards her room after another class. She has her books with her as well as coffee and burritos. The girl loved her burritos. She wanted to have a bite before her last class. She had no idea she was being followed. Cameron had been lurking. He watched as Marlene made her way into the dormitory building. Sensing someone following her, Marlene stopped and turned around to check. Cameron saw her turn around and quickly sat down with a magazine covering his face. Marlene looked around cautiously to make sure no one was around. When she was satisfied, she turned back and went towards the stairs. Cameron follows her and making sure not to be seen. Marlene got to her door and unlocked it before going in. Cameron made a mental note that her room door was 213. He decided he was going to wait until she went to her last class. Marlene's cellphone rang. It was from a burner phone. She realized it was Kate.

"Hello." Marlene said casually.

"Hey Marla, how you doing?" Kate said to him.

"I'm good. How are you?" Marlene said excited to hear from her best friend.

"Everything's great. I'm with my family and their friends." Kate said to her.

"I'm glad you're ok. I miss you so much." Marlene said to her.

"I miss you to." Kate said.

"I didn't think I'd ever hear from you again." Marlene said to her as she sat down in her bed.

"I didn't know if it was safe to call you." Kate said.

"So tell me, how are things in the rainy capital?" Marlene asked.

"Things are great. I'm glad to be at the same school my sisters are at and I met a new guy." Kate said as she's walking through the mall after her counseling session. She brought a burner phone so that her call couldn't be traced or left in Marlene's phone records just in case her phone gets stolen. It's also to prevent Kate from being found in the event Royce gets out of jail. He won't know where to find her. She also didn't want to use her new number for the same reasons.

"Spill who is the guy?" Marlene asked excitedly.

"His name is Garrett. He's really nice and cute. More importantly, he's nothing like Royce." Kate said to her.

"Thank god. Just be careful ok?" Marlene said to her.

"I will." Kate said to her. "Has he called you?"

"Yes he did but I told him to fuck off." Marlene told her. Kate was silent on the phone. "Katie you still there?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm still here. Listen Marlene please be careful. We both know what Royce is capable of and I don't want anything happening to you." Kate said to her. Kate considered Marlene to be like a surrogate sister to her and didn't want Marlene harmed because her.

"Don't worry. He's locked up. He can't harm no one else anymore." Marlene said.

"Ok. Listen I gotta go. I'll call you back from another phone ok?" Kate told her.

"Ok you take care of yourself or Garrett will take care of you." Marlene said jokingly. Kate chuckled.

"I will and you take care of yourself as well." Kate said to her.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Marlene said to her. "Late Katie."

"Later." Kate said as both girls hung up the phone. Kate threw the burner phone in the garbage.

Marlene stared at her phone for a moment longer. She had missed her friend desperately but knew why she had to leave. Marlene blamed Royce for scaring Kate away. Little did Marlene know that her conversation was overheard by Cameron. Kate hadn't revealed where she was but he knew she wasn't in town any longer. Maybe Marlene had some information on Kate's whereabouts. Cameron had decided to stay in the lobby waiting on Marlene to leave. Luckily for him no one was there and the lobby was a room filled magazines and a small television.

Laurent is on his way towards his afternoon workout. He is dressed in his gym clothes. The team didn't have a practice today and their first game wasn't for two days. Laurent loved to workout though. His cell phone rings and recognizes Irina's number. She had been calling him all morning trying to get him to answer the phone. He glanced at his phone and pressed the red button indicating that he was ignoring her call. He placed his bag in the locker making sure to take out his towel, then heading for his workout.

"Laurent." Nettie says seeing him.

"Nettie hey." Laurent said to her. He eyed her body before making eye contact. Laurent thought Nettie was a looker but never flirted with her because she was with another guy. Now that she was single, he'd talk to her. "You about to work out?"

"Yes." She said to him.

"I don't know why. You look good to me." Laurent flirted. Nettie smirked.

"Well I gotta keep this body tight." Nettie said to him.

"I hear that. You wanna work out partner?" Laurent asked.

"Sure." Nettie said to him as the two head for the area where the weights are.

Kate had called Tanya to pick her up from the mall. Once Kate was finished with her therapy session with Michelle, she had decided to do a little retail therapy. Kate liked Michelle and felt comfortable talking to her. A lot of what Michelle said had some truth to it. Most women who were victims of abuse always got help from family and friends. What was so different about her family? Kate didn't know. All she knew was that she wasn't ready to tell them anything yet. Kate had brought a few things for herself and she even picked up something for Garrett. She remembered him telling her that he was a 49ner's fan and brought him a T-shirt of his favorite 49ners player. She stood outside of the mall parking lot waiting on Tanya. Tanya's car pulls up in front of her. Kate gets into the car.

"Hey sis." Kate said smiling. Tanya stared at her smiling. "What?"

"Wow, what did Garrett do to put that big of a smile on your face?" Tanya asked smiling.

"Come on." Kate said as Tanya laughs driving off.

"How are things between you and Gman?" Tanya asked smirking. Kate wore the same expression.

"Things are going great. He sits next to me in class now." Kate said to her.

"How was the date yesterday you never told me about it?" Tanya asks.

"Well he took to the Pier for brunch. Have you ever been there?" Kate asked.

"Yeah I have. Riley took me there for lunch a couple of time." Tanya said. "It's a nice place."

"Yeah it is. After brunch we went on a boat ride and then took a walk on the beach. We shared fries while talking. Then we saw this romantic movie and ate ice cream before he brought me back to my room." Kate said smiling. Tanya smiled as well.

"Damn that sounds very romantic." Tanya said driving. "I should get Riley to do that."

"Hey maybe we can double date." Kate said to her sister.

"That sounds like fun." Tanya said to her. "I'm happy for you sis."

"Thanks." Kate said smiling. "I feel so safe with Garrett." Tanya glanced over at her sister a moment.

"Safe? Why safe?" Tanya asked. Kate realized what she said and frowns.

"He just does." Kate said trying to cover up what she revealed. Tanya glanced over at her one last time before turning away. Kate hadn't looked in her direction. The rest of the ride was quiet. Tanya was contemplating what Kate had said. Why had she felt safe around Garrett? What did she mean by that? Meanwhile Kate was hoping that Tanya didn't catch on to what she was saying. She still wasn't ready to tell her sisters and cousins what happened to her.

Irina had spent most of her morning trying to call Laurent but he hadn't picked up his phone. She sees Garrett coming from the dormitory building with his gym back. She decides to see if he knew where Laurent was. Irina had suspected that Laurent was avoiding her after their romp but she wasn't entirely sure. She dialed Laurent's number one last time to see if he picks up but as she suspected his phone went straight to voicemail again.

"Garrett." Irina called to him. He looked over at her and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey what's up?" Garrett asked.

"How are things going between you and my sister?" Irina asked smiling.

"Things are going great." Garrett told her. "I'm really in love with her."

"That's cool." Irina said.

"I'm guessing you're looking for Laurent?" Garrett asked smiling.

"Yeah. I mean don't get me wrong I'm glad things are working out between you and my sister but I've been looking for Laurent. I tried calling him but he's not picking up." Irina said to him. "Have you seen him?"

"No. The last time I saw him was this morning. He's probably in class." Garrett said to her. She nods.

"Ok. I gotta go. See you later." Irina said.

"Later." Garrett said as both walk away in opposite directions.

After dropping Kate off at her room, Tanya decided she needed to get some studying done. She couldn't take her mind off what Kate said. She said that Garrett made her feel safe. Why did he make her feel safe? Why hadn't she felt safe with her sisters or cousins? Something about that didn't add up. Tanya was always protective of her sisters and brother. She treated each person differently. With Eleazar, because he's the oldest, she always made sure the women he dated were good for him. Carmen was the exception. Tanya liked Carmen right from the start and convinced Eleazar to marry her. They've been together ever since. With Irina, it's different. She's the baby of the four siblings and Tanya sometimes treats her that way. Kate is the strong one, the brainy one, the one who was the smartest in the house. Kate had never really needed to be safe but something had changed. Tanya wondered what it was. With her distracted, she didn't see her boyfriend walk up to her.

"BOO!" Riley said startling Tanya taking her from her thoughts. Riley laughs.

"Don't do that." Tanya said to him. Riley is laughing harder. "You scared the shit out of me." She said.

"I'm sorry babe. I couldn't help myself." Riley said still chuckling.

"Ass." Tanya said to him.

"Oh you know you love me." Riley said pulling Tanya up from her seat and into his arms. Tanya laughs.

"Didn't see you come into library." Tanya said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I just walked in. Besides you looked like you were far away." Riley said to her. Tanya looked away. "What were you thinking about?" He asked.

"It's nothing." Tanya said putting on a fake smile. She wouldn't let on that she was worried about her sister. To distract Riley, she leans into kiss Riley's lips. Riley deepens the kiss. He pulls Tanya closer to him. The throbbing his feels coming from his prick graves against Tanya's cunt. She pulls away a moment. Riley starts sucking the small of her neck on the left side causing Tanya to become more aroused. Lucky for her she's wearing a skirt. She moans looking around the library. There aren't that many people in the library today.

"We can't do this out here." Tanya said.

"Ok." Riley said in a husky voice then grabbing Tanya's hand and pulling her towards the bathroom. They ended up in the ladies bathroom. Riley puts the trash bin up against the door so no one would come in. He then pushes Tanya up against the wall while the two begin kissing again. He lifts her skirt above her hips. He slid her panties off palming her round ass. Tanya moaned feeling herself get wetter down in her lower region. Riley rips her shirt open exposing her breasts. Riley licks and sucks at her breasts making sure to focus on her nipples. Tanya moans loving the way Riley is making her feel. Her pussy ached for him to be inside of her. Riley's cock is rock hard. Tanya reached down and hungrily removed his cock from his jeans. Riley pulls his pants down to his thighs. He wraps Tanya's legs around his waist and entered her wet cunt roughly. Tanya moaned as Riley pounded her pussy with long hard thrusts. Riley grunts as his balls slap Tanya's ass. "FUCK!" Tanya moans as her orgasm vastly approaches with each thrust. Riley thrusts harder and harder trying bury his cock in Tanya who cries out in ecstasy. "UUUUHHHH BBBAAABBBYYY!" Riley groans his balls swelling.

"RILEY! UUUHHHH. FUCK ME! SO HARD!" Tanya moans.

"THIS PUSSY IS SOOOO GOOOODD!" Riley moans deeply. His hot breath pierces Tanya's ear but she doesn't care. All she cared about was her release.

"UUHHHH I'm gonna cum." Tanya moans. Riley pounds her harder and faster til both scream out in pleasure. Both cum together. Breathing heavily. Riley kisses Tanya deeply. Both pull away laughing. "I needed that baby."

"Me to." Riley said. "We better get out of here before someone comes knocking." He said as Tanya smiled. The two kissed. They cleaned themselves up and left the bathroom before they can be seen.

Royce and Cameron are sitting at the table talking about his escape during their visit. The guards paid no attention to their conversation. To the guards, Royce wasn't a problem. In fact he kept his nose clean and minded his business. Royce made it his business not to engage with the other inmates because he didn't want to be accused of any wrong doing. He and Cameron kept their voices down so they couldn't be heard.

"Were you able to find out where Kate is?" Royce asked him. Cameron shook his head no. Royce frowned a bit but wasn't mad because he knew it would take a little time. "Why what happened?"

"I went to that girl Marlene's room like you told me. I waited for her to leave but she didn't leave so I decided to head to the main building but couldn't get in." Cameron told him.

"Ok. So you try again." Royce said as Cameron nods.

"So when do you plan on escaping?" Cameron asked.

"As soon as you get the information I need to escape. Once I know that you have the info, I'll let you know the rest of the directions."

"Ok, how do you plan on escaping?" Cameron asked. Royce turned and looked at his cellmate. Cameron followed his eyes and locked onto Royce's cellmate.

"I'm gonna get him sick and when the guards are distracted I will slip away. The laundry room has pipes in the back that has a panel. I'm gonna remove that panel and sneak out that way. The pipes lead two miles past the prison gate to freedom." Royce said smirking. Cameron smirked to.

"That sounds so cool." Cameron boasted. "Dude you are awesome." He said as Royce smirks.

"That bitch is going to pay for putting me in here." Royce said to him. Cameron nods agreeing.

The day had gone by as quick as it came. Garrett had rented a romantic movie to watch with his girlfriend. Kate was a little worried about being alone with Garrett in his room. She wasn't worried that he'd hurt her. She just wasn't ready to make love although it's been a long time since she last had sex. Royce forced himself on her on a few occasions and she didn't consider that sex. It was rape. Kate never consented to the sex. Her body betrayed her because she reacted to what was being done to her. Even though Kate didn't want Royce to rape her, her body was responding to the sexual assault. Garrett wouldn't take advantage of her that way. When Kate was ready to make love he'd be the first to know. Both arrive at his room.

"You ready to be amazed?" He joked smiling. Kate smiled at him.

"Amaze me." Kate said to him as he opens up the door to his room. Kate steps in and notices just how clean his room really is. "Wow." She said surprised.

"What?" He asks.

"You're room is cleaner than mines." She jokes. Garrett laughs. "Oh I almost forgot. I got you something." She said to him. She held a bag out for him.

"Really what?" Garrett asked taking the bag from her.

"Open it and see." She said as Garrett smiled while opening the bag. He pulled out the 49ners T-shirt. "Wow. Cool. A 49ners t-shirt." He said smiling. "With my favorite player Joe Montana."

"I remembered you told me your favorite and player so I got that shirt for you." Kate said smiling.

"Thanks baby." Garrett said pulling Kate into a hug.

"You're welcome." Kate said as the two kissed.

"Come sit on the bed." He said to her putting the movie into the DVD player. Garrett's room is big. He's got his own bathroom to the right of the entertainment center that houses the big flat screen TV, DVD player, Play Station 3, and Xbox systems. The cabinet of the entertainment center houses a lot of games for his play station 3 and Xbox systems and on other side has movies. Kate puts her bag down and goes over to the entertainment center and looks over at all his DVD collection.

"You're into actions movies huh?" Kate asked.

"Yeah and martial arts movies." Garrett said.

"Then how were you able to sit through a romance movie?" Kate asked him smirking.

"I think about the two of us and it becomes easier to watch." Garrett said smoothly. Kate smiled and turned back to his movie collection.

"You're quite the gamer I see." Kate said.

"Only in my free time." Garrett said smiling.

"NFL Madden, MLB the show, I'm gonna have to play you one of these days." Kate said to him. He didn't know but she was quite the gamer herself.

"Oh really?" Garrett said smirking.

"Uh-huh." Kate responds.

"We'll just have to see about that." Garrett said taking her hands standing up right. He leans down and kisses her lips. "Mmmm, you ready to watch the movie?"

"Yes." Kate said as he grabs the remote.

"Make yourself comfortable." Garrett said to her. Kate placed her bag on the floor and took her shoes off. She made herself comfortable on Garrett's bed. Garrett took his sneakers off and sat on the bed. He laid back on his pillow inviting Kate to lay with him. She does. She lays her head on his chest while his arm is around her waist. He turns the movie on. While the first five minutes of the movie plays, Kate kept looking up at Garrett. She was amazed at him. He's so caring, gentle and warm. She felt so comfortable in his arms. She had never felt this comfortable with Royce although Royce never made her feel comfortable with him at all. With Garrett she seemed to right at home, almost as if they fit. Sensing that she wasn't watching the movie, Garrett looked down at her. "What are you thinking about beautiful?" He asked.

"You. Us. We seem to fit. I'm in love with you Garrett." Kate said to him.

"I'm in love with you to." Garrett said to her. Feeling bold Kate leaned into him and kissed his lips. Garrett kisses her back. Kate deepens the kiss as the two find themselves making out. The movie went on as they continued making out. Garrett wraps his arms around Kate's waist they make out while the movie played in the background. It was like a scene right out of the movie.


	8. Hanging With Friends

True Love

Chapter Eight

Hanging With Friends

Irina finds Laurent in his psych class. She decided to wait to talk to him. She hadn't seen him since they had sex and worried that he had been ignoring her. Irina has a bit of a self-esteem issue. She doesn't believe she's worthy of having a boyfriend and the first time a guy shows her attention, she becomes attached to him. Laurent was no exception. He showed her affection and attention and when she had sex with him, he began to ignore her. She waited for him to leave his class hoping to at least speak with him. The teacher is finished with the lesson and the students exit. Irina watches as Laurent walks out of the classroom. She sees him and goes up to him.

"Hey." Irina said to Laurent turns around. "Hi there handsome." She said smiling.

"Hey beautiful." Laurent said smiling. He wasn't really in the mood to be hounded by her. He wasn't all that happy to see her either. "I have to go." He said before turning to leave her standing there but Irina cut him and began to walk with him. Laurent wasn't not happy about that.

"I hadn't seen you all day yesterday." Irina said to him.

"I was busy classes, working out, I met with the dean." Laurent lied smoothly. Only two of those things were true. He did have classes and did work out but did not meet with the dean. He didn't need to. He's a good student.

"Oh. So I was wondering if we could go out tonight. You know grab a bite to eat and see a movie." Irina asked smiling.

"I can't." Laurent told her as they walked out of the building of his psych class.

"Why not?" Irina asked disappointed.

"I have other plans with friends." Laurent said to her. "I'll see you later." He said he walked in the opposite direction. Irina just watched him feeling sad. She turned and headed the direction she had come from. She felt like shit. How could he just ignore like her that as if nothing had happened between them? Maybe Laurent wasn't avoiding her and did have other plans. If he wasn't avoiding her then how come she couldn't reach him? Irina let these questions linger in her head until she got answers. For now, she'd just focus on her classes.

Royce had gotten up early but couldn't leave his cell until the guards opened up. He showered and changed into a fresh orange jump suit. He then ate breakfast along with the other inmates. When he was done, Royce decided to slip into the library. He needed to plan his escape and made a note not to write anything down. He found the map to the pipes behind the laundry room and began to study it. He drew a line through the path he needs to take to escape. He smiled at himself as the plan formulates in his head.

"Hey roommie, we have to do our shift at the laundry." Royce's cellmate said. Royce turned to him, nods and then stands up from the table he was sitting at. Royce folds up the map of the pipes and puts it in his pocket before leaving the library. He lines up with the rest of the inmates to head to the laundry room for their shift. Royce and his cellmate are folding clothes to put into the washing machine. He watches his cellmate a moment wonders about him. His cellmate looks at him and decides against his better judgment to speak with Royce. "So how did you end up here?" He asked.

"Beat on my girl and the courts agreed and sent me here." Royce said.

"What did she do to piss you off?" Cellmate asks.

"She fucking dumped me. I had to make her ass pay." Royce said to him. His cellmate rolled his eyes. "What about you? How you end up in this place?"

"I fucked up and sold drugs to an undercover cop and got busted." Cellmate said.

"You're fucking crazy dude." Royce said chuckling.

"That's what he said." Cellmate said as they laughed. The cellmate suddenly starts coughing violently. Royce stops to make sure he's ok.

"You ok?" He asks. Not that he cared. He just didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to himself.

"Yeah I'm fine." Cellmate said. "I suffer from chest ailments and I have to take meds for it. They won't let me keep some meds in our cell."

"They don't want you to overdose." Royce said watching him. "You sure you're ok?" Royce asked.

"Yeah I'm cool." Cellmate said as they went back to work. Royce listened to his cellmate babble on about his life. Royce listened but then asked about his ailment. His cellmate explained that he has a heart condition and requires medication three times a day. He's already had his first dosage this morning and when they go for lunch, he'd have to his second dosage. Royce figured out what he was going to do in order to escape prison. He'd have to poison his cellmate.

While sitting in class, Kate and Garrett are sitting next to each other. Garrett has his left arm draped around Kate's waist with her leaning against his shoulder. Both are listening to the professor's lecture. Kate is taking notes while Garrett listens. When the professor turns his back to the class, Garrett gently takes his left hand and removes some of Kate's hair away from the right side of her face past her neck. He leans over and begins to suck on the right side of her neck. Kate smirks knowing exactly what he was doing. When the professor turns back around, Garrett returns to his upright position. Kate is smirking to keep from laughing. The professor turns his back again, and again Garrett goes to suck on her neck. Kate at this point is giggling like a school girl. Garrett is smirking. She covers her mouth to stifle her giggles. The professor turns back around to write on the board. Garrett goes for Kate's neck again causing her more laughter. Kate starts to scribble their names on her notebook. Garrett sees this and decides to do the same. With the professor's back to them, Kate and Garrett steal a few quick kisses.

Nettie arrives at Laurent's room. She didn't know why he had called her but she wanted to find out. The two had flirted hard the day before while they worked out and she wanted him. She knew he was with Irina and had asked if they were still an item but he said they were over. Even if they were still together, so what. She didn't' care. She'd still pursue Laurent. She knocks on his door. Laurent opens the door. He smiled upon seeing her.

"Hey handsome." Nettie said to him.

"Hey there sexy. Come in." Laurent said to her. She enters his room as he closes the door.

"So you called and said you wanted to see me?" Nettie asked.

"Yes. I was hoping we could hang out." Laurent said. Nettie eyed him a moment. She knew what he wanted and it wasn't to hang out.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Nettie asked eyeing him. She knew he wanted sex.

"What would you like to do?" Laurent asked. Nettie walked up to him and leaned into him. Their lips meet and they kiss. Nettie deepens the kiss. She then pulls away.

"That answer your question?" Nettie asked as Laurent pulls her close to him and kisses her deeply. He wraps his arms around her waist. Nettie wraps her arms around Laurent's neck as they continue kissing. He lifts her onto his bed and gets on top of her. The two proceed to have sex. Laurent realizes that he's cheating on Irina with Nettie but at the moment didn't care. How would Irina react to his betrayal? He'd think about that later. Right now, he wanted Nettie.

Irina is calling Laurent's cell phone. She had no idea why he wasn't answering his cell but she kept trying. She left six messages asking him to call her. She is sitting on a bench with her books having just come from a class. She couldn't concentrate on her studies. All she could was think about Laurent and the sex they had and how he has been ignoring her since it happened. She shut her phone and sighed deeply. Alice who is coming from her dorm sees Irina sitting on the bench and goes over to her cousin.

"Hey." Alice said to her. Irina turns to her and flashes a fake smile.

"Hey cuz. What's up?" Irina asked.

"I was going to ask you the same question." Alice said going over to sit next to her. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Irina lied. She wasn't fine. She was hurt. Alice knew this.

"No you're not." Alice said to her. Irina sighs and looks away.

"I feel so stupid." Irina said to her. "He hasn't called me back."

"Laurent not calling you back doesn't make you stupid." Alice said to her.

"I guess. Then how come he hasn't called me back?" Irina asked. Alice couldn't answer that so she shrugged. "Maybe he's busy and can't spend time with me." Irina said to her. Alice shrugs again. "Oh I don't know. I guess I'm kidding myself into believing that Laurent liked me when all he really wanted was sex. I'm the biggest slut in the world."

"No you're not. Listen, Laurent has been with different girls at different times. Just cause you slept with him doesn't make you a slut." Alice said trying to cheer her cousin up. The truth was Alice thought Irina used her looks to get guys to like her when she never let them get to know her personality. To her a guy was going to fall in love with a girl when he can truly see past her beauty. Irina is beautiful. No doubt about that but Alice felt Irina need to show more of her personality before she slept with the guys. "Irina, you're beautiful, funny and you're pretty smart contrary to what your sisters think. You have to let guys get to know the real you before sleeping with them. You do this and I guarantee you'll find the right guy." Alice said to her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Irina said as Alice rubbed her arm.

"It's gonna be ok cuz." Alice said to her. "Come here." She said pulling Irina into a hug. They pull away.

"He's not calling me back because he's dumping me and is brush me off." Irina said to her.

"I don't know if he is breaking up with you. Give him til the end of today. If he hasn't called you back or spoken to you, then you'll have your answer." Alice told her. Irina looked away.

Riley had finished his last class and was glad it was over. He figured he'd get some studying in tomorrow but first wanted to spend the evening with his girlfriend and friends. He entered the dorm and is on his way to his room when he spots his friend Laurent kissing a girl. Riley couldn't see the female because Laurent had her back to him blocking his view of the girl. It wasn't until Laurent walked her to the back exit when Riley realized that the girl he was with wasn't Irina but Nettie. Riley realized Laurent was cheating on Irina. He frowned hard. Riley went into his room, put his books down and then left dorm. He was angry at Laurent. How could he do this to Irina? He truly was scum of the earth. Riley had another problem. How could he tell his girlfriend's sister about her boyfriend's infidelity? He didn't know what to do.

The group gathers in the dorm lounge for their hang out night in. They were to watch movies, eat pizza and drink beers. Something they did a lot last year. the inly difference was that Kate and Irina are apart of the group now. Emmett and Edward brought the drinks while Rosalie ordered the pizza pies. Kate and Garrett had gotten several movies for them to watch. Three chick flicks for the ladies and three action flicks for the guys. Perched on first love seat are Kate and Garrett. Her legs are draped against his. His arm is around her shoulder and she is leaning on his shoulder while feeding each other pizza. Emmett and Rosalie are on the Long sofa couch with Edward and Bella. Alice and Jasper and perched on the second love seat. This time she's leaning on his chest. Irina is seated on the second long sofa couch with Tanya.

"Thank god this day is over." Emmett said to them. "Time to relax and chilax."

"Chilax, who the hell says that?" Edward asked as they laughed.

"I say that." Emmett said as they laughed.

"Hey guys." Riley said walking into the lounge. The others greeted him.

"Hey honey." Tanya said as Riley leans over and kisses Tanya's lips.

"What's up babe?" Riley said taking a slice of pizza. He tickles Tanya who laughs. Suddenly Laurent walks into the lounge. Riley immediately frowns hard. Tanya notices this.

"Hey guys." Laurent said as they wave greeting him. "Hey baby." He said sitting next to Irina who smiled happily.

"Hey sweetie." Irina said excitedly as Laurent kisses her lips.

"Riley what's wrong?" Tanya asked. Riley looked over at her and faked his smile but said nothing. He turned back to her and glared at Laurent again. Tanya wasn't the only who caught this. Alice did to.

"I called you several times and left a couple of messages. Did you get them?" Irina asks him.

"I did. I was super busy babe. I couldn't talk at the times you called." Laurent lied smoothly. Alice looked over heard him and was discussed. She suspected Laurent was lying. He could've easily texted her to tell her couldn't speak and that he'd call her back. "I'm sorry I didn't return you phone calls. Every time I was about to, I got side tracked again. You forgive me?" Laurent asked her. Irina smiled.

"Ok." She said as he smiled then leaning to kiss her lips.

"Great can we watch the movies now?" Kate bellowed as the laughed. Garrett kisses her forehead.

"Yes let's watch the movie." Garrett said as Edward went over and turned the movie on.

Riley watched angrily as Laurent tickled Irina who giggled. Alice glanced at Riley who was staring death glares at Laurent. Laurent hadn't noticed this at all. Kate did and so did Garrett. Tanya sees this as well but figured she'd ask him later about why he's staring angrily at Laurent.


	9. Spy Game

True Love

Chapter Nine

Spy Game

The following morning, Tanya had gotten up early due to her having a class at 7am. Who had classes that early in the morning? College students that's who. She didn't have time to grab breakfast before her class and was starving. Her stomach was speaking louder than the professor was speaking. After the bell had sound, she raced towards the café her stomach beckoning her to put food in it. She walks in and spots Garrett sitting at a table eating his breakfast. She goes over to his table.

"Hey." Tanya said to him. Garrett looked over at her.

"Hey. Care to join me?" Garrett asked.

"Sure." Tanya said sitting down. "Where's my sister? Ever since you two have gotten together, you've been joined at the hip." She said. Garrett smiled.

"I took her to see her therapist." Garrett told her. Tanya nods.

"I'm fucking starving. Be right back." She said before getting back up to get some food. Garrett watched her get some food from the front of the café. Tanya returned to the table with a tray filled food.

"Damn." Garrett said laughing. "You must really be hungry."

"You have no idea." Tanya said with her mouth filled with food. Garrett laughed. "So how are things between you and lil sis?" She asked.

"Things are going great. I love her. She makes me happy." Garrett told her.

"I should hope so. I hope you make her happy?" Tanya said.

"I hope so." Garrett said to her.

"I couldn't tell from the smile on her face." Tanya said. Garrett smiled. "Why is she still seeing her therapist?"

"Don't know." Garrett said as he shrugs. "Kate doesn't like to talk about it."

"Speaking of talking. I've been meaning to talk to my boyfriend about why he's pissed at Laurent." Tanya said taking another bite of her food.

"He's pissed at Laurent?" Garrett asked. Tanya nods. Garrett had only glanced in Riley's direction once and could tell he was angry about something but didn't know what.

"Yeah. You didn't see the death glares he was giving him?" Tanya asked him.

"I saw a glare but I didn't know it was for Laurent." Garrett told her.

"I asked Riley what was wrong and he didn't answer." Tanya told him.

"Answer what?" Riley asked having made his way into the café ad over to their table.

"I asked why you were glaring at Laurent and you didn't answer." Tanya said as Riley sat next to her. Riley all but ignored her question. Both Garrett and Tanya watched him.

"What?" Riley asked noticing their expressions.

"You still haven't answered my question." Tanya said.

"Why are mad at Laurent?" Garrett asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Riley said looking away from them. Both Garrett and Tanya looked at him. Tanya then rolled her eyes at him. "So what were you guys are talking about?" He asked changing the subject.

"I was telling your girlfriend here that I'm in love with her sister." Garrett said smirking. Riley smirked looking at Tanya. Tanya shook her head smiling.

"Whatever." Tanya said taking another bite of her food. Riley steals a piece of her sand which. "Hey." Tanya said slapping his hand away.

Laurent comes into the café for breakfast. Like Tanya he had an early class and wanted to grab a bite to eat. He sees Garrett, Tanya and Riley sitting together at a table and decides to go over to them.

"Hey guys." Laurent said standing in front of their table. Riley immediately glared at him. Garrett and Tanya noticed this.

"Laurent what's up?" Garrett said.

"Mind if I join you guys?" Laurent said.

"Sure." Garrett said making room beside him.

"Thanks." Laurent said sitting down next to Garrett. "What's up?"

"I suddenly don't feel like eating." Riley said getting up and leaving abruptly to the stunned faces of Garrett and Tanya. Laurent looked especially stunned.

"Did I do something wrong?" Laurent asked. Garrett and Tanya looked at each other without responding. Neither knew how to respond. They didn't know why Riley was pissed at Laurent.

-  
On the Miami campus, the students were all attending a football game so there was no one around. Cameron realized that no one was around the dorms and decided to sneak into Marlene's room. He begins carefully searching through her stuff. He found an old photo of her and Kate. He didn't find any information relating to Kate's whereabouts.

"Fuck!" Cameron said as he continued going through Marlene's stuff. He searched her dresser drawers going through her under garments. Cameron smiled as he thumbed the underwear in his between his fingers. He wished he could fuck Marlene just to get the information he needed but couldn't risk it. He searched the rest of her dresser drawers but there was nothing useful. He then moved to her desk. Again he found pictures of Marlene and Kate in various places while Kate was still at Miami University. There was even one of her, Kate and Royce at the beach with other friends. Why Marlene had kept that picture he didn't know. He sees Marlene's computer and smiles thinking there may be some information on there that might tell him where Kate is. He opened it but its password protected. "Shit!" He cursed. He tried typing in Kate's name but the password didn't work. He tried Barnes, Marlene's last name but it didn't work. "Damn." He said trying to figure out what Marlene's password to her computer might be. Then heard voices. He recognized one of them being Marlene's. He scurried out of the window making sure to close it before he left.

"That game was amazing." Marlene said as she is walking into her room carrying her little purse.

"I know right." Another female can be heard saying. She enters the room behind Marlene. "Mark totally has the hots for you." The young blond continued. She notices Marlene's facial expression. Marlene noticed that someone had been in her room. "What's the matter?" The young blond asked.

"Someone's been in my room." Marlene said.

"What makes you think that?" The young blond asks.

"My computer is open. I always close it when I'm not using it." Marlene said.

"Should I call campus security?" The young blond asked. Marlene didn't answer. She kept her eyes darting around her room. "Nothing seems missing."

"That's because whoever was in here was looking for something." Marlene said as she went and closed the computer. Marlene went looking around her room, the window and the door to make sure no one was messing with her stuff. The young blond watched her.

"Marlene maybe you left it open before you left the room." The young blond told her. The young blond wasn't there last year and doesn't know why Marlene is paranoid.

"Maybe." Marlene said.

"Why don't we put our bags down and go meet the others." The young blond told her. Marlene nods placing her back on her bed along with her blond friend's bag, then headed out of her room. Marlene closed her computer and put it under her pillow so he'd know where she left it.

"Ok let's go." She said as they both left her room making sure to close the door behind them.

Kate is in her room sitting on her bed going through her bag trying to find her notes for her next class. She was starting to feel comfortable with the Seattle campus. She already has a mental map of it in her head so getting around was getting easier for her. Having her sisters and cousins around also made things easier as well. It met that they could keep her company. More importantly, Kate was beginning to feel safe. It helped that she had family around but she also has a new man in her life. Garrett. Garrett made her feel safe. His tall stature and lean muscular physic made her feel at ease. She didn't think anyone messed with Garrett. Of course Garrett is one of the nicest guys she's ever met. And it helped that the guy is a martial arts expert. He'd have to teach her a move or two. Talking to her therapist also helped make Kate feel safe. Talking about the abuse with someone who went through it felt especially good to Kate. It was a relief to finally have someone who understood what she was feeling. She found her notes and takes them out. Her cell phone rings startling her interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at the LCD screen and recognized the number belonging to her mother Sasha.

"Hi ma." Kate greeted after answering her phone.

"Now there's a voice I hadn't heard all summer. How are you doing sweetie?" Sasha asked.

"I'm fine." Kate told her smiling over the phone. She was glad to hear her mother's voice.

"A little birdie told me you've transferred to Seattle University. Is that true?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah it is." Kate answers. She suspects the little birdie running her mouth was Irina.

"How come you didn't call and tell me?" Sasha asked.

"Oh uh I just wanted to get settled in before I made the call." Kate lied. "How's dad? I heard he was sick."

"Yeah he was for a while, but you know your father, when he feels better he's up and about. So to answer your question he's fine." Sasha said to the relief of her daughter. Kate sighs over the phone. "We missed you this summer."

"I missed you guys to. At the end of last term I put in for the transfer and Miami. I was gonna come home but I wanted to get an early jump on a new semester in Seattle so that's why I didn't come home." Kate lied again. The truth was that she didnt want her parents knowing what happened to her. She already lied to her sisters and cousins, now she was lying to her own mother.

"Everything ok?" Sasha asked. She could tell Kate was lying to her but didn't know why. Kate had never lied about anything. She didn't need to. Kate was about as honest as they come and never hid how she felt. Some would say she was painfully honest. This was a quality Sasha had learned about her daughter when she was just five years old. Why was Kate lying now?

"Everything's fine." Kate said smiling over the phone. Both were silent for a moment. Both knew Kate was lying. Kate knew her mother suspected something but wouldn't say.

"Ok. I'm just glad you're ok." Sasha said.

"Yeah I'm fine." Kate said. She glanced at her watch. "Oh crap. Mom I'll call you later, I have a class I'm gonna be late for."

"Well we wouldn't want that would we?" Sasha teased.

"No. I don't want you lecturing me about school and dad telling about how bad you guys had it back in the day." Kate teased back.

"Haha. Get your butt to class." Sasha told Kate as they both laughed.

"Ok. Love you mom." Kate said to her.

"I love you to sweetie. Bye." Sasha said to her daughter.

"Bye." Kate said as they both hung up their phones. Kate stared at her cell phone a moment. She knew her mother would worry about her. As long as her mother didn't know the truth, she'd be fine. Kate grabbed her bag with her notes in it, then left heading to her other class.

Riley heads towards the lockers for football practice. He stops short when he spots Laurent slipping Irina some tongue while holding her tight. Riley was disgusted by Laurent's behavior. How could he be messing with Nettie one minute and then screwing with Irina the next? He knew the answer to that question. Laurent didn't care about Irina's feelings. All he really wanted was to sleep with her. Now that he got what he wanted, he's messing with Nettie but playing Irina. What kind of guy does this to people?

"I'll see you later." Laurent said to Irina.

"Ok." She said walking away from him. Laurent turned and went into the locker room. Riley rolled his eyes as he made his way into the locker room unseen behind Laurent.

The players are all getting dressed into their football gear. Once they are in their uniform, the team heads on the field. Garrett, Emmett, Jasper and Edward can see the tension radiating from Riley. On a play where Garrett tosses the ball to Riley, Laurent gets in the way taking the ball and running to the end zone. He does a dance in the end zone making the others laugh. Riley was infuriated. He charges at Laurent full speed. Before Laurent can react, Riley tackles him to the ground on the end zone. Garrett and the others see what's going on and rushes over.

"Hey man." Laurent said from the ground while Riley grabs at his jersey.

"That pass was met for me asshole!" Riley screams.

"Get off me man." Laurent screams. Emmett grabs Riley off of Laurent. Edward and Jasper help Laurent up. Both guys took their helmets off. "What the fuck was that about?" Laurent asked angrily.

"That pass was met for me dickhead. You had no right to pass in front of me like that." Riley screamed.

"Man you trippin. It's not my fault you're slow." Laurent said.

"You piece of shit." Riley screamed while shoving Laurent back. Garrett and Emmett separated the two. "I should kick your ass."

"Bro what has gotten into you?" Edward asked. Riley doesn't answer.

"Riley what's going on with you?" Garrett asks. Riley shoves his hand away and walks away from the team. Riley heads into the locker room. He was pissed off. The coach saw this and would talk with Riley later about it. The team had to continue their practice.

At the Miami University campus, Cameron was annoyed that he couldn't find any information of Kate's whereabouts in Marlene's room. He figured if it was one person who would know where Kate was it was her friend Marlene. That proved to be a dead end. He snuck into the campus' main building where the records are kept. He looked around realizing no one was there. That was odd. Someone was always there in the building. He jumped over the counter and began rifling through the files but found nothing.

"SHIT!" He cursed. He was getting frustrated. Where was this bitch? He turned around and saw the computer monitor. He sits in front of the monitor and begins typing. Just like Marlene's computer, the monitor at the main building had a password as well. Cameron thought for a moment. What would be the school's password? Then it hit him. He typed in the school's football team's name and just like that he was in. He typed in Kate's first name but couldn't remember the last name. He went through all the female student's who's name began with Kate. "What was her last name? Damon Douglas, Daniels, Den-a-lie. That's it. Denali." Cameron said spotting Kate's name. He clicks on the name and what came up is Kate's photo. Her records are sealed. "Shit. Sealed. Wait." Cameron said as he spots something. "Records transferred to the university of Seattle Washington. Bingo." Cameron said as he shut the monitor off and snuck out of the main building and off the campus before he can be seen. He had what he was looking for and it was only a matter of time before Kate would get what's coming to her. Cameron had to let Royce know where Kate was. Right on cue, Cameron's cell phone rings.

"Hey." Cameron said while driving.

"Got news for me?" Royce asked.

"Yes I do. I'm coming your way now. Hang tight."

"Cool." Royce said as they both hung up the phone.

Riley had gotten back to his room after practice. He was pulled into the coach's office to talk about what happened during that play. Riley told the coach that he thought the play was met for him and overreacted. He said that Laurent was showing off and he didn't like it. The coach told him that he wasn't to rough up a teammate although that was sweet tackle. Riley had a sly smirk on his face. He told him not to let it happen again. Riley promised it wouldn't and was excused. He came back to his room annoyed. He dropped his bag onto the floor and sat down on his bed. There's a knock at his door.

"Come in." Riley said annoyed. Tanya opened the door and walked in. "Oh great. You're the last person I wanted to see." Riley said to her.

"Fine I'll leave." Tanya said hurt at his comment. She's about to walk out of his room when he jumps up.

"Wait, wait. I'm sorry babe. I shouldn't have said that." Riley said to her.

"Then why did you?" She asked angrily.

"It just came out." Riley yells. Tanya stares at him. Riley sighs deeply. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." He said as takes her hands in his.

"Baby, what's got you so upset?" Tanya asked him. Riley moves back over to sit on his bed. He doesn't answer Tanya because he doesn't know how to tell her if he should tell her. "Riley, you can talk to me about anything. I told you that."

"I know babe, it's just complicated." Riley told her.

"I know you're mad at Laurent. I just don't know why. If I did maybe I can help." Tanya adds.

"Or get mad." Riley said.

"Tell me why you're pissed at Laurent?" Tanya asked.

"I told you I don't want to talk about it." Riley told her.

"Why not?" Tanya asked.

"Because I just don't." Riley said getting frustrated that Tanya won't drop the subject.

"Riley, please talk to me." Tanya all but begged. She hated it when people kept things from her. He sighs again.

"Laurent is a piece of shit and did something that pissed me off." Riley said to her.

"What did he do?" Tanya asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it so drop it already." Riley said to her frowning hard. Tanya sat there unable to speak. She didn't know what was going on with her boyfriend and Laurent but intended to find out. Riley didn't want Tanya to know that he suspected Laurent of cheating on Irina. Irina is her sister. Tanya would be completely pissed at Laurent as well. He turned to her.

"I should leave." Tanya said getting up from Riley's bed.

"You don't have to." Riley said to her.

"No but I will. It'll give you some time to cool off." Tanya said then walking out of his room. Riley sighs again.

"FUCK!" He cursed himself for driving his girlfriend away.

Cameron speeded towards the prison. He parked his car and made his way into the facility. Royce was already waiting on him. Cameron sits down in front of him. Royce smirked excitedly. If the info he was giving him was about Kate, then he'd make his move very soon.

"So, what's up?" Royce asked casually trying not alert the guards to what they were talking about.

"I know where she is." Cameron whispers.

"Oh yeah where?" Royce asks.

"She transferred to Seattle Washington." Cameron told him.

"Are you sure?" Royce asked.

"Yes. I did just like you said. I checked the friend's room but there was nothing there. So then I snuck into the main building and went through the computer files. Kate's file was sealed and then I saw that her file had been transferred to Seattle University. That's gotta be where she is." Cameron said.

"Ok. Tomorrow night, be outside behind the prison. I'm making my escape tomorrow night at 7:45pm. I found the map that I can use to escape through the pipes. The pipes lead to the back of the prison. There are no guards there. I'll come out through the back panel." Royce tells him.

"Got it." Cameron said to him.

"You did good buddy." Royce told him. Cameron smiles. "And when you show up, bring clean clothes."

"Ok." Cameron said to him. The plan was set. Royce was going to escape this hell hole and soon Kate Denali was going to die. Royce smiled at the thought. It was only a matter of time before he got to her again. Question is will he be successful in his quest for revenge?


	10. Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am

True Love

Chapter Ten

Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am

Kate and Garrett are in her room on her bed. The two didn't have their literature class today but decided to stay in. He had brought her lunch and the two decided to keep each other company. Kate had spent the morning in therapy with Michelle and came back to campus for her only other class of the day. The two are watching a movie cuddled on her bed. Garrett's head is on her chest while she runs her fingers through his hair. Garrett and the team have a game this evening but he'd rest first before he'd get ready for the game.

"Hey." Kate said softly.

"What?" Garrett asks with his arms around her stomach.

"What time is the game tonight?" Kate asks.

"It's at 7pm." Garrett told her. "You coming to watch me play?" He asked her smiling. Kate smiled to.

"Of course." Kate said to him. There's a knock at her door. "Come in." Kate said as Alice comes in.

"Hey you two." Alice said before stopping in her tracks. She's smiling at the site before her. Kate and Garrett are entangled in each other's embrace while on her bed. Kate notices her expression.

"What?" Kate asks.

"You two look so cute together." Alice said smiling. Garrett and Kate smiled at her. "Oh yeah. What time is the game Garrett?" Alice asked. This was the reason she came into the room.

"7pm." Garrett said to her.

"Ok." Alice said to him. She glanced at them once more before leaving the room smiling.

"Your cousin is weird." Garrett said as Kate laughs.

Irina is in her room getting ready for a date with Laurent. She had taken a quick shower and is getting dressed in her purple skirt, purple plad blouse and her white shoes. She sits down on her bed to put her make up on. Her cell phone rings. She glances at the LCD screen and sees Laurent's name on it.

"Hey there handsome." She said answering her phone smiling.

"Hey there beautiful." Laurent said to her.

"So when are you picking me up?" Irina asked.

"Actually, I have to cancel our date." Laurent told her. Irina's face dropped. Was she hearing him correctly?

"Cancel. Why?" Irina asked him.

"Well Coach Norris called me and said he needs to see me. It's about tonight's game." Laurent told her.

"The game doesn't start until 7pm. It's only 3pm." Irina complained.

"I know but he asked to see me and no one turns the coach down. Knowing Coach Norris, if he calls you, it's probably very important. Listen I'll make it up to you. I'll treat you to breakfast tomorrow how's that sound?" He asked her.

"Ok." Irina said. Laurent could hear the hurt in her voice.

"I'm sorry about that." Laurent said to her.

"It's ok. I'll see you at the game tonight."

"Ok. Later." He said hanging up the phone. Irina shut off her phone and got undressed. She didn't want to ruin her good clothes so she decided to put on her pajama bottoms and climb into bed. She turned her TV back on and laid on her bed. She was hurt. Had Laurent broke their date to avoid going out with her? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was alone. Laurent sighed deeply as he sat in his room. He had just lied to Irina again. Nettie was sitting right beside him smiling. She loved the fact that he was a good liar. Laurent was also a good lay for her. She had never been with a black man until that night with him and enjoyed every minute of it. "Shit!" Laurent said cursing. He knew he had made a mistake lying to Irina again but Nettie was too good to pass up.

"She buy it?" Nettie asked.

"Yes." Laurent said to her.

"You're a good liar." She said.

"Thanks." He said without looking at her.

"So why don't you use those lips for something useful like kissing me." Nettie said Laurent turned to her and the two began kissing. Laurent knew deep down that Nettie was just a roll in the hay for him. He liked Irina and didn't want to hurt her. But here he was having sex with Nettie again.

Riley, Emmett, Edward and Jasper are getting a quick workout before their game tonight. Emmett was pumped. He couldn't wait to tackle the opposition. Thus the reason he's lifting weights. Edward is on the treadmill. He couldn't wait to run circles around their opponents. He and Riley are two of the best receivers on their team. Laurent was a pretty decent running back. Jasper was the team's starting kicker and Garrett was the quarterback. Riley needed to get his workout on because he was very pissed. The others noticed how hard he was working and knew something was up.

"Rye, slow down man." Jasper said to him. "This is just a light work out."

"Sorry." Riley said sighing before picking up the bottle of water and drinking some down.

"Yeah man who put steriods in your wheaties this morning." Emmett asked jokingly. Edward and Jasper laugh.

"I'm just gearing up for our first game tonight." Riley said while doing his leg presses.

"I hear you but its suppose to be light. Save it for the game." Emmett said.

"I have to tell you guys something." Riley said. Edward, Emmett and Jasper all turned towards Riley. "I saw Laurent escorting Nettie from his room last night." he told them.

"So." Emmett said.

"So, he and Nettie were sleeping together." Riley said to them.

"Did you see them sleeping together?" Edward asks.

"No. I just saw him escorting her from his room." Riley said to them.

"Then we shouldn't jump to conclussions." Edward said.

"Yeah for all we know they could've been studying." Jasper said to him. Riley frownns hard.

"I know what I saw." Riley said. Besides, we all know how Laurent is. I can't tell Irina her man is cheating on her. It'll break her heart plus and I can't tell Tanya about it because she'll get mad at me." He continued.

"Look you're right that we know that Laurent is a player but my cousin is a big girl and can take care of herself. Unless we have evidence saying other wise, we can't go around accusing Laurent of being a cheater." Edward said to him. Riley angrily gets up from the leg pressing machine and storms out. The others watch him. Edward wondered if what Riley said had some truth to it. After all Laurent is a bit of a player. Who's to say he wasn't cheating on Irina?

Garrett and Kate are still in her room. The two were watching a movie until a hot love scene came on. That love scene got them hot. Garrett looked into Kate's eyes as he leaned into kiss her. The kiss started off as little light pecks but it was Kate who deepened the kiss. She hadn't felt this aroused since the first time she had sex. Though Kate wasn't a virgin, she hadn't been with a man since her ex had raped her. Kate was worried that Garrett would do the same thing. Here she was making out with him. Garrett's hands find her breasts. Kate moans feeling her arousal grow between her legs. Garrett's prick is getting hard in his pants. Kate can feel his arousal between her legs. Garrett buries his face in the nap of her neck and kissing her gently. Kate closes her eyes enjoying him when suddenly the memory of Royce forcing himself on her invades her mind. She pushes Garrett up off of her.

"We should stop." Kate said to him.

"What's wrong?" Garrett asked her. He could see the panicked look on her face.

"I'm fine. It's just that my ex forced himself on me and I haven't been with another man in that way in a long time." Kate said to him.

"Its ok. Kate I will never force you to do something you weren't comfortable doing." Garrett said to her rubbing her shoulders. Kate smiles at him. "We can wait til you're ready. Besides, you're worth waiting for." he told her.

"Thank you." she said hugging him.

"Anytime baby." Garrett said to her then kissing Kate's cheek. He understood why she didn't want to have sex this fast. Besides, he knew there'd be plenty of time for that.

Alice walks into the cafe to grab a bite before the game and finds her cousin Tanya sitting at a booth by herself. She's staring out the window of the booth she's sitting in. Alice grabbed a cup of coffee and went over to her table. She could tell something was troubling her cousin. It was about time they talked.

"Want some comapny" Alice asked. Tanya looked over at her cousin and smiled weakly. Alice took that as a sign to sit in the booth across from her.

"What's up cuz?" Tanya asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Alice told her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine." Tanya lied. Alice could tell she was lying.

"Come on cuz, you can tell me what's really going on?" Alice said to her. Tanya sighed deeply.

"I'm tired of people hiding things from me." Tanya tells her.

"What do you mean by that?" Alice asks.

"First it was Kate hiding a secret from me and now it's Riley. He's mad at Laurent and he won't tell me why. Kate had a broken heart and refused to talk to me about it. It just bothers me." Tanya said somberly.

"I hear you cuz. I don't think Kate met to hide her broken heart from you. I just think that maybe she wanted to deal with it on her on. Riley on the other hand probably wants to tell you what's going on between him and Laurent but isn't sure how you're going to react." Alice said trying to rationalize whats going on with her cousin and friend.

"Yeah maybe." Tanya said but she wasn't convinced.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Alice asked. Tanya smiled at her.

"You do enough just by listening. I'm glad I can talk to you." Tanya said smiling.

"You know I'm always here for you." Alice said smiling. "Don't worry Tanya, everything will be ok." She said rubbing Tanya's shoulder. Tanya nods.

Tonight was the first game of the season for the Seattle Sea Devils college football team. Fans are heading towards the team's football and taking their seats. Kate and Garrett are holding hands while walking towards the team's locker room. Both stop in front of the door to the locker room and give each other kisses. Alice who's on her way to wish Jasper luck stops upon seeing her cousin and new boyfriend kissing. Alice smiles liking the scene before her. She liked seeing Kate with Garrett. He's a nice guy and she deserves to be with a nice guy. Alice didn't know Kate had been abused but that her heart had been broken. Maybe Garrett is mending that broken heart of hers.

"Hey you two." Alice said to them. Both turned to her smiling.

"Hey cuz." Kate said smiling. "Come to wish Jasper good luck?"

"But of course." Alice said as they chuckled. "Look at you two. You look so cute together."

"Thanks." Garrett said to her.

"You should get in there and tell Jasper I said come out and give his girl a good luck kiss." Alice told him. Garrett smiled at her and took his arm away from Kate's shoulder and headed inside. A moment later, Jasper peered out the locker room wearing only half of his uniform. "Hey baby." Alice said smiling.

"Hey beautiful. Came to wish me good luck?" Jasper asked.

"Of ourse and to give you a good luck kiss." Alice said as she and Jasper shared a long lingering kiss. Kate watched them kiss and smiled. Once the kiss was over, Alice pulled away.

"I gotta get back in there. See you ladies after the game." Jasper said to them.

"Good luck." Kate said as she and Alice head towards the bleachers. Both girls see Tanya, Irina, Bella and Rosalie seated. "Hey ladies." she said going over to sit next to her sister.

"Hey where have you two been?" Tanya asked.

"Wishing the guys good luck." Alice said.

"I know what that means." Rosalie said as they laughed.

The two teams move on to the field to play the great game of football. The first quarter got underway. Since the opposing team won the coin toss, their offense came onto the field. Seattle's defense shut them down turning the ball over. Garrett put his helmet on and got to work. He moved the ball down the field hitting Riley for the team's first touch down. The fans cheered. Jasper kicked his first field goal. The opposing team would tie the score and this score would hold up til the fourth quarter. The other team's offense would kick a field goal to make the score 10-7. With two minutes left on the clock, Garrett marchs the team down to the 38 yard line for a first down. Garrett tells them its time to end the game with a win. He then lays out the plan for one more play. The players know who the ball is going to. They break from their huddle and get ready for the last play. Garrett recieves the ball backs up getting out of the pocket. He avoids three potential tackles before finding Laurent down the field. He throws a bullet down the field and hits Laurent for the touch down. Laurent scores the winning touch down. The fans cheer. Laurent does a little dnace in the endzone. The clock runs down as the crowd cheers. Garrett and his team have won their first game of the season. The girls came down from the stands to greet their guys.

"You were awesome baby." Bella said to Edward who caught a couple of passes down the field.

"Thanks baby." Edward said as the two kissed.

"Watching you block was a turn on to me." Rosalie cooed in Emmett's ear.

"Well nothing is blocking me from kissing those pretty lips." Emmett said as he kissed her lips.

"You played so well hon." Tanya said to Riley. Riley said nothing and just pulled her into a kissed. Tanya smiled at Riley as both leaned their foreheads on each other.

"You were impressive as always." Alice said to Jasper.

"And you know this." Jasper said as Alice laughs before the two kiss.

"You were amazing out there." Kate cooed looking up at her boyfriend.

"Thanks baby." He said as they kissed. Irina watched smiling hoping Laurent would come over to her and kiss her like that but what followed next shocked her. Laurent went over to Nettie and planted a nice wet kiss on her lips. The others saw this as well. Riley was angered with Laurent. The guys realized that Riley had been telling the truth. Irina felt sick to her stomach as tears began to fall down her face. She takes off crying. Tanya and the girls followed to comfort her. The guys stared at Laurent who didn't realize that Irina had caught him kissing another girl. Nettie whispered something in his ear before leaving with Lucy in tow. Laurent turned around and saw Garrett and the others watching him.

"What?" Laurent asked. Riley angrily walked away from him. He was followed by Jasper, Edward, Emmett and then Garrett. Laurent just watched them wondering why they were looking at him like that.

Irina is in the parking lot crying her eyes out. With her are Tanya, Kate, Alice, Bella and Rosalie. Tanya and Kate are comforting Irina. Bella and Rosalie are discussed with Laurent. Alice sees Nettie walking into the parking lot and wonders why she did what she did. Irina felt heart broken and foolish. Bella is the first to speak.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Bella asked. The girls looked up and saw Nettie. She wasn't sure what came over her but Irina ran over to where Nettie was standing and jumped on her.

"You fucking bitch!" Irina yelled punching Nettie in the face. Lucy tried to get Irina off of Nettie but Irina shoved her back. Lucy fell to the ground hard. "BITCH!" Irina scremed continuing her assualt on Nettie. Tanya, Kate, and Alice pulled Irina off of her.

"Get you crazy sister away from me." Nettie yelled. Lucy helped her up.

"Serves you right." Rosalie said to her.

"You had that ass kicking coming to you coniving bitch." Bella said to her.

"Why did you sleep with Laurent Nettie?" Tanya asked. Nettie doesn't respond. "You knew my sister was dating him." Nettie doesn't say anything. "You both deserve each other." she said. "Come on Irina." She said as they all walked away heading out of the parking lot.

When the team got back into the locker room, Emmett shoved Laurent hard to the floor of the locker room. He was held back by Garrett, Edward and Jasper. Riley did nothing to help Laurent up. The other players also got involved. Emmett angrily shouts at him while being held back.

"Why did you push me?" Laurent asked.

"You're a fucking pig that's why." Emmett yelled.

"I didn't do anything to you." Laurent yelled back.

"You broke my cousin's heart that's what." Emmett yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Laurent asked.

"Irina saw you kissing that slut Nettie." Emmett said to him. Laurent looked at them realizing he's been caught. "Tell me something, did you sleep with Irina?" He asked. Laurent hadn't said anything. "You now you're a real piece of work you know that?" Emmett said angrily.

"I'm disappointed in you Laurent. You knew Irina is our family yet you still did what you always do." Edward said to him. Laurent felt bad about hurting Irina.

"Now you know why I was pissed at you. I fucking knew you were cheating on Irina I couldn't prove it. Now I know what kind of you guy you really are." Riley said to him.

"Stay the fuck away from our family. You got that motherfucker?" Emmett yelled. Laurent understood why the guys were pissed at him. He had hurt Irina.

"Why did you do it Laurent? You knew how Irina felt about you." Garrett asked but Laurent looked away sadly.

"Just stay the fuck away from my cousin and the rest us. You're no fucking friend of ours." Emmett shouts as Edward pushes him towards the back. Garrett shakes his head walking away. Riley and Jasper follow as they were to get changed into their back into their street clothes.


	11. Escape Plan

True Love

Chapter Eleven

Escape Plan

Dinner service was over at the prison. The prisoners are all doing various things. Some are watching television or listening to music. The rest could be found in their cells reading, working out or just hanging out with other cellmates. Royce is in his cell thinking of a way to escape and was trying to figure out how to use his cellmate to do so. He looked over at his cellmate's medication and then glanced at the cleaning product on the floor. The cleaning product was a small bottle of dish detergent. He took his cellmate's liquid medication and pored some dish detergent in it and shook it. He quickly put the medication back before he was spotted. Moments later his cellmate came back into the cell. Royce is sitting on the bed. He knew it was time for his cellmate to take his meds.

"That was some workout." He cellmate said. He noticed Royce hadn't said anything. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Royce said.

"Oh well. Time to take my medication." His cellmate said. Royce watched as his cellmate took three tea spoons of the liquid medicine. Suddenly his cellmate started coughing violently. Royce watched realizing that his plan was working so far. He had intentionally made his cellmate sick. Now he had to rush his cell mate to the infirmary.

"Dude, you ok?" Royce asked. His cellmate couldn't respond because he was coughing violently. Royce sprung into action grabbing his cellmate and rushing him to the infirmary. The infirmary was down the hall from the weight room. "HELP, HEL!" Royce yelled as two uniformed officers came to help Royce and his cellmate in the infirmary.

"What happened?" Asked one of the officers.

"He came back to our cell and took his meds but then started coughing violently." Royce said as the doctors in the infirmary continued to work on his cellmate. The uniformed officers helped and were complete distracted. Just like Royce had planned. He slipped away into the laundry room. He goes directly behind the machines that has the back panels. He quickly removes the panel and slides into the small space then puts the panel back. Royce with a cat like speed runs though the pipes. He knew that it would take the guards a while to discover his escape because they were too busy dealing with his sick cellmate. It took about ten minutes but Royce got all the way to the end of the pipes and realized there was another panel. He kicked the panel away from its compartment and made his escape pass the gate and ran into the resivore. Royce was soaking wet but didn't care. He was out of the prison. He climbed out the water and waiting on him was Cameron. "Just like I planned." Royce said smiling.

"Let's get you out of here." Cameron said as he and Royce got into his car and he drove off. In Cameron's car, there was a change of clothes but Royce wanted to shower first.

The local pub is in full swing. It's a bar that the local teens go to who are old enough to drink. Emmett and the others are there getting in a game of pool. Tanya, Bella, Kate, Rosalie and Irina are there. Irina used a fake Id to drink. She had two beers already. The young heartbroken woman felt like drinking her pity away. It wasn't working. Riley is beating Edward and sinks one last shot. He smiles as Emmett high fives him.

"Damn out twenty bucks." Edward said smiling as he hands Riley twenty bucks from his pocket.

"Thank you." Riley said smiing.

"I got next." Garrett said smiling.

"Oh you wanna be my next victim I mean opponent?" Riley asked smiling.

"Bring it on." Garrett said smiling.

"Get him baby." Kate said as Garrett blew her a kiss using his lips.

"Yeah baby." Riley teased. Garrett playfully shoved him. "Since I'm so good, I'll let you break first."

"Why thank you kind stranger." Garrett said in a goofy southern accent smirking as the others with the exception of Irina laughed.

"Just break'em." Riley said laughing.

The girls watched Irina suck down another bottle of beer. She was trying to drink away her pain but it wasn't working. The girls felt bad for her. They all have experienced heart break at one point or another but were lucky enough to have a nice guy in their lives. She thought Laurent was that guy but he turned out to be a loser. Just like the guy she dated in high school. He dated for her six months before she had sex with him and then he dumped her before they're junior prom. Rosalie watched her wondering how she was able to drink the way she did.

"You sure are putting those beers back." Rosalie said to her.

"She's trying to drown out her broken heart." Tanya said.

"Tell me something cuz is it working?" Alice asked.

"Nope." Irina answers lying then belches. The others smirked. "I'm such a gualable fuck." She said.

"No you're not." Tanya said to her.

"Yes I am. I trusted Laurent. You guys were right to warn me. Alice said he was a player and I fell for his charm. I let him fuck me and then he lost interest." Irina said sadly. The girls watched her sadly. Kate puts her hand on Irina's but she moves her hand and asks for another beer. "I need another beer."

"No you don't. Tanya said pulling the big sister card.

"Tanya's right. We should get you back to your room to sober up." Kate said.

"I need to get drunker than I already am. Since when do you listen to Tanya?" Irina asked. Kate shook her head.

"Boom, I win." Garrett cheered loudly to Riley smiling.

"DAMN." Riley exclaimed smirking. "Ok you win. I want a rematch."

"You can have your rematch after I beat my brother in a game." Emmett said taking a cue stick.

"Bring it on bro." Edward said as Garrett handed him his cue stick.

"You can use mine. I'll bring you luck." Garrett smiling.

"Thanks man." Edward said smiling as Emmett sucked his teeth playfully.

Garret sat down next to Kate putting his arm around her waste. Riley came up behind Tanya and put his arms around her waste. Both took another sip of their beers. Jasper watched sitting next to Alice while he drank his beer.

Laurent walks into the pub and sees the others all together at one of the pool tables. He goes over to the group hoping that they will have forgiven him by now. He saw Irina sitting there drinking the rest of the beer left by Kate. He knew she was hurt and wanted to apologize. Maybe if he played his cards right, she might actually forgive him. He went over to them.

"Hey guys can I play someone?" Laurent asked. No one answered him. In fact that they didn't even look in his direction. Emmett rolled his eyes. Riley didn't even budge. He had his back to Laurent. Tanya was disgusted with him. Kate didn't know him all that well and probably didn't care for him. Rosalie and Bella felt the same way Tanya did. Alice was mad with Laurent for hurting her cousin. Jasper and Garrett were pretty much neutral to the situation while Emmett and Edward were pissed. Emmett was the one more pissed and Edward was disappointed. "Still mad with me I see." He said but no one said anything. "Guys look I'm sorry. Irina, I'm sorry for hurting you."

"Fuck off!" She yelled to him turning away from him angrily before running off to the bathroom. Laurent felt bad. Kate and Alice followed to make sure she was ok. They suspected she had to throw up.

"I'm trying to apologize." Laurent said.

"Back off Laurent. Just back off." Tanya said as she headed into the bathroom to check on her baby sister.

"You guys really ignoring me?" Laurent asked as he was shocked. How dare they ignore him. They guys including Garrett continued to watch Emmett and Edward battle each other in a game of pool. Laurent shook his head turned around and walked out the pub. The only one to turn around was Garrett. Apart of him felt bad that they had ignored Laurent but he hated the fact the Laurent slept around with different girls and didn't care about their feelings. When he started dating Irina, Garrett knew that Laurent was with her to sleep with her but he was hoping that he wouldn't do that to Irina. Alast he did and now had to pay for his action.

Once they arrived at his house, Cameron pulled down all the shades in his apartment. Royce quickly went into the bathroom to take a shower. Cameron goes over hotels in Seattle that would be conspiquous. A place they won't be found. He found one. Royce came out the shower wearing nothing but a towel. His hair was wet but he smelled better. Cameron smiled at him. Royce wondered why he was smiling.

"Why are you smiling?" Royce asked.

"Because I found a hotel in Seattle we can stay at where the cops won't find us. Actually it's a motel and it's afforadable." Cameron told him.

"Wonderful." Royce said smirking while using the towel to dry himself off. He put on a pair of black boxer breifs then a black tank top shirt.

"So what's the next plan?" Cameron asked.

"I need to pay an old friend a visit. Then I'm clearing out ny account then we board a bus to Seattle. I'm gonna need the car." Royce asked while he continued to get dressed. He stopped a moment thinking about is plan.

"What?" Cameron asked.

"Change of plans. Get packed, we are leaving tonight." Royce said as Cameron began to pack some clothes.

"I don't understand the plan." Cameron said to Royce.

"It's simple. Once the guards discover that I'm gone, they'll send a search party after me. They'll come looking for you to. If we leave tonight, they won't find us. I need to make a stop first then I clear out my account before we board a bus to Seattle. Understand now?" Royce asked. Cameron nods. "Good let's go." He said continuing to get dressed.

Having gotten Irina back to her room, Tanya and Kate had decided to stay with their kid sister for the night. Irina ran right to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet bowl. Kate and Tanya held her and comforted her as she puked her guts out. When she was done, Irina washed her mouth out and then got undressed. The television is on. Irina hadn't said anything for an hour. Kate and Tanya watched her wondering if she was ok. They knew she wasn't and would stay be her side the entire night. Irina spoke for the first time in more than an hour.

"I'm so stupid." Irina said to them. Kate and Tanya glance at each other before turning back to her. "I trusted him and he broke my heart. I'm a fool."

"Irina don't worry about it. It happens to the best of us. I've had my heart broken." Kate said to her.

"Yeah but you met Garrett and he's a great guy. Alice told me Laurent was a player and I didn't listen to her. I should just get use to being alone." Irina said crying. Tanya rubbed her back allowing her to cry. Kate felt helpless. She knew Irina could be guliable sometimes but knew her sister was a great girl and would find someone who would love her unconditionally. Kate and Tanya continued to comfort their little sister.

Marlene returns to her room after study group ran late. She shut the door behind her locking it. The light is off. She turns and heads for her bed. She turns the lamp light on and is startled by a figure standing by her dresser. The figure is none other than Royce King. Marlene is not only startled by his presence but shocked. She stares at him. Royce smiles at her menancingly. Marlene drops her bag down. She doesn't move at all. She was never afraid of him because he hadn't hurt her. At least not until the night he assualted Kate in a drunken rage. Then he called her from prison asking where Kate was and threatened to kill her if she didn't tell her. Now he didn't he didn't need her. He knew where Kate was but he hated Marlene and wanted to make good on his promise to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"I recently got out of jail and wanted to see you." Royce told her.

"No the judge gave you ten years in prison. You must've escaped." Marlene said to him. She backed up slightly. Royce could see this. He smirked.

"You got me." He said to her.

"So why did you come here?" She asked him. Royce smirked again. Then it dawned on her. He wanted her to tell him where Kate was. "If you came here to get me to reveal where Kate is, you wasted a trip. I told you before I won't tell you where she is."

"Oh my dear Marlene, I'm not here for that. I'll let you in on a little secret." Royce told her while looking around her room.

"Oh yeah what's that?" Marlene asked.

"I already know where Kate is." Royce said to her. Marlene frowned hard.

"You're lying. You don't know where she is and you want me to tell you. I won't tell you." Marlene said to him.

"I know that Kate is in Seattle Washington and I know that she's a student at Seattle University." Royce told her. Marlene had a shocked look on her face. Royce smirked. Cameron had told him where Kate was but had no evidence to back that up. He came to see Marlene not just to kill her but to confirm it. Judging by Marlene's expression, she had all but confirmed Kate's location. "I take from your expression that I'm right. Arent I?" He asked. Marlene doesn't respond.

"So why the hell do you need me?" Marlene asked.

"I don't."Royce said before making a move towards Marlene to attack her. Marlene moves towards the door to unlock it and escape but Royce grabs her from behind. She elbows him to the face sending Royce back. She quikly tries to unlock the door but Royce recovers and grabs her tossing her onto the bed. Marlene tries to get up but Royce jumps on top of her. Marlene tries to scream but her screams are muffled by Royce who covers her mouth. He grabs her neck with his other hand and snaps her neck killing her. Royce breathes heavily. He runs his hand through his hair pushing it back from his face and then walking out her room unseen. He went out the back stair case leading outside.

With cellmate's condition contained, the guards are about ready to do a bed check. Four guards are walking down the corridor it seems like all of the inmates are accounted for. One of them is in the infirmary. They head down to the last cell which was where Royce and his cellmate were living. That is until Royce had gotten his cellmate sick on purpose and then escaping through the pipes. The guard comes to a stop and realizes that Royce isn't in his cell.

"'Lock down!" Guard one shouts. Two other guards come up to him. "Everyone in their cells now!"

"What's going on?" Guard two asked.

"Royce King isn't in his cell. His cellmate is in the infirmary but he's not around." Guard one said. "Go look around to see where he is." He ordered before they left. The guards checked every inch of the prison and did not find Royce anywhere. They didn't think to look behind the laundry machines that has the back panel leading to the pipes. They are baffled. Meanwhile, guard one does another round of cell checks. Guard Two returned to him his boss.

"Sir he's nowhere to be found. He's escaped." Guard two said.

"Shit lock it down now. Get the district attorney on the phone." Guard one tells them as they headed into the office. This was a call he didn't want to make. How did this guy escape? That's the million dollar question. Now he and his crew had to find out how Royce King had escaped prison.

Cameron's car had stopped at the local ATM machine. Royce had taken out all of his money. In fact he had to use it at two other machines. He was only allowed to take out a thousand dollars in his account, Royce gave Cameron five hundred and told him he'd give them the rest when they got to Seattle. Cameron nodded and he drove to the bus station and parked his car. Both brought bus tickets to Seattle. The next bus leaves out was midnight. Lucky for them it was two hours before midnight. Royce and Cameron decided to grab a bite to eat before boarding the bus. It was a long bus ride and Cameron made sure to buy a lot of food for the ride. Royce spent the next two hours thinking about how he'd kill Kate. He brought some food for the ride as well. He knew the police would be looking for him anytime now. At midnight, both guys board the bus and it was off to Seattle. By the time the police figured out what where he was, he figured it'd be too late.


	12. Romantic Evening

True Love

Chapter Twelve

Romantic Evening

Having the day off from his studies, Riley had decided to head to the gym to get in a work out. He was glad that he didn't have to keep the fact that Laurent is a cheating dog a secret any longer. He was finally able to think straight. He hated keeping that from Irina. Even worse he didn't like keeping things from Tanya. She was the love of his life. He didn't like lying to her. Besides he wasn't entirely sure Laurent was cheating on Irina. For all he knew Nettie and Laurent could've been studying together. When he kissed Nettie after the game, it was all but confirmed that he was sleeping with her. Riley hated seeing Irina crying. He thought the world of her. He knew she was vulnerable with her feelings and also knew how Laurent was. It hurt him to see Irina hurt. In fact it made him angry. How could Laurent do that to her? He didn't know. All he knew was that she was hurt and it was Laurent's fault. Speaking of Laurent, the devil himself just walked into the gym. Riley frowned. Laurent sees Riley and walks over to him.

"Hey Rye." Laurent said smiling. Riley continued on with his bench pressing reps. "Hey let me spot you." Laurent offers.

"No thanks." Riley said angrily.

"Come on Rye. You can't still be mad at me." Laurent said to him.

"What do you think?" Riley asked setting the weights down.

"Why are you mad with me?" Laurent asked him. It was a dumb question. Riley glared at him not responding before going over to the leg pressing machine. Laurent follows him. "Ok look, I know why Irina is mad with me but I don't know why you're so pissed at me." He said to him.

"Piss off Laurent." Riley said angrily. He really wasn't in the mood to be chatting with Laurent.

"Come on man. Look I didn't mean to hurt Irina. I made a mistake. I know that's why everyone is ignoring me." Laurent said. "Besides, I don't know if Irina and I are really compatible. We had fun and then I moved on."

"You had fun and then you moved on." Riley said sucking his teeth. "Did it ever occur to you that Irina actually liked you? Did the thought ever cross your mind?" He asked angrily. Laurent looked away. "She was falling in love with you Laurent and you knew this. You also knew that you weren't going to be in a relationship with her so you should've been real with her from day one. No you pretend to like her just to get some pussy."

"I thought that's what she wanted." Laurent said. "Irina's a young woman. I didn't think she wanted anything serious."

"You didn't ask and let's face it, you wouldn't have wanted a relationship with her anyway." Riley said to him.

"Ok. I get why she's hurt. I still don't understand why you're so pissed and why the others are ignoring me." Laurent said to him. Riley glares at him.

"You know damn well that Emmett, Edward, and Alice are Irina's cousins. You also know that my girlfriend Tanya and Kate Garrett's girl are Irina's sisters. Of course they aren't speaking to you because you fucked Nettie hurting Irina. Do you think for one second that they're happy about that?" Riley asked frowning hard at Laurent. Laurent knew he had made a huge mistake. "They will always have Irina's back. I will always have Irina's back."

"I get that." Laurent told him.

"Do you?" Riley asked.

"Yes. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you could talk to her for me?" Laurent asked. Riley glared at him sharply.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Riley asked angrily. Laurent had some fucking nerves.

"What? I figured she's not talking to me so why not pass on a message?" Laurent asked.

"You've got some balls Laurent." Riley said to him picking up his towel and drying his face. He grabbed his bag.

"Does that mean that you won't do it?" Laurent asked. Riley glared at him. "Come on Rye, can you just tell her that I'm sorry and that I didn't mean to hurt her?" Laurent begged him.

"You want me to vouch for you?" Riley asked as he takes a sip of his water. Laurent nods. "Yeah that ain't happening. You can do this on your own." Riley said before walking out. Laurent just watched him feeling like the piece shit everyone is making him out to be.

Alice, Bella, and Rosalie decided to spend some time with Irina. The four girls went shopping at the mall, saw a movie and went on a tour of Seattle. After woods the girls went to the local ice cream shop. It was Bella's idea. She felt that the best way to cure a broken heart is with ice cream and some great friends. Irina was grateful for the company, she hadn't felt much like eating ice cream.

"Girls thanks so much for spending time with me." Irina said to her.

"It's cool. No worries." Bella said smiling.

"Yeah don't worry cuz, we're here for you." Alice said as they continued eating their ice cream. It was pretty quiet. Rosalie decided to say something.

"MMM nothing is better than Rocky road." Rosalie said eating her ice cream.

"Nah chocolate chip is better." Alice said.

"No vanilla fudge is the best." Bella said.

"Don't let Edward hear you say that." Rosalie said as they laughed.

"He knows I like Vanilla." Bella said to her.

"It's the fudge that would worry him." Alice said as they laughed.

"Pistachio is my favorite." Irina said.

"That's cuz you like green flavored stuff." Alice said as Irina nods. "She and Emmett are weird like that. He likes Pistachio with chocolate syrup." Irina smiled at that combo. Alice smirked. "See." They chuckled. Irina's smile disappeared. She was sad all over again. Alice noticed her expression and felt for her cousin. "Irina you ok?" Alice asked her. Irina gave her a weak smile.

"I'm fine." Irina said to her. "You know you were right cuz."

"About what?" Alice said knowing damn well what Irina means.

"You know what I mean. Laurent. You were right about him. All he wanted was sex. He didn't care about me." Irina said beginning to play with her ice cream. Bella and Rosalie looked at each other. Alice rubbed her shoulder. "You told me to watch myself with him and I didn't. He told me whatever I wanted to hear in order to get between my legs."

"Irina, Laurent is a womanizer. He only cares about himself. He doesn't deserve you." Rosalie said to her. Irina smiles weakly as tears begin to fall down his face.

"Rose is right. We just met you and can tell you are good person." Bella said.

"I will never have a boyfriend. I'll just have to get use to being somebody's sex toy." Irina said crying.

"Don't you dare say that!" Alice said frowning hard. Irina looked at her with tears in her ears. "You are a beautiful vibrant young lady. There are plenty of guys out there that want you. You just haven't found the right one yet. Laurent is just one guy. This is your college life. You shouldn't spend time on just one guy. You should be having casual flings left and right and when the right guy comes along to sweep you off your feet you're know it. Don't let Laurent or any other guy for that matter define you. You will have a boyfriend who will love and care about you." Alice said to her.

"You sure as hell ain't going to be some guy's fuck toy either." Rosalie adds.

"Irina, don't worry about him ok?" Bella said to him. Irina smiled weakly through her tears. "Besides we're here for you. You can't fuck us but we're here for you." Bella said joking. This caused laughter from all of the girls. Including a teary-eyed Irina. She laughs through her tears.

"Thanks you guys." Irina said. Alice pulls her into a hug. The three girls continued to eat their ice cream. Bella was telling jokes. This was really helping Irina who hadn't a reason to smile but thanks to Bella's jokes and Alice teasing Rosalie this helped. Alice even told funny stories of when she and Irina were kids. This helped a lot. It took her mind off of Laurent.

The evening had come way too fast. Garrett was happy that the day was over. He had set up this nice romantic evening with his girlfriend. He sent a dozen roses to Kate's room with a card that said I love you. He had ordered a nice dinner from a fancy restaurant and had it delivered. Garrett was wearing nice dress pants, slacks and a dress shirt. His hair was slicked back. There's a table in her room and the food was ready. Kate had arrived at her door. She had no idea what Garrett had been up to. She stopped upon her door. She sniffed her. The sent of Italian food crept up in her nostrils. She frowned wondering why would the smell of food be coming from her room. She opened the door and was shocked at the sight before her. There stood Garrett smiling holding a rose. He had methodically placed roses around her room to make it look romantic. Kate smiled from ear to ear. No guy had ever done this is for her before.

"Hey beautiful. Would you join me for dinner love?" Garrett asked her.

"Ok." Kate said. Garrett took her bag and placed it near the door then closing the door. He helped Kate take her light sweater off and held out her chair so she could sit. He then went and sat across from her. "This is amazing." She said smiling.

"I'm glad you like it." Garrett said smiling.

"When did you put this together?" Kate asked.

"Oh it took a couple of hours. I knew that you had one last class for the day and whipped this up for you." Garrett told her.

"Alice helped you didn't she?" Kate asked smirking.

"Yes." Garrett said as they both giggled. "I told her my plans and she was so excited. She let me into your to set this up." They began to eat. Kate smiled at that romantic notion.

"The food smells great. Where's it from?" Kate asked.

"Antonio's." Garrett said. "They've got great food there." Kate smiles. "Would you like some wine?"

"Thank you." Kate said as Garrett pored her a glass of white wine. "How's Irina doing?" He asked her.

"She's coping. I can't believe Laurent would do that to her." Kate said to him. "I thought he was a nice guy. Of course I don't know him like you do."

"I believe it. Laurent has always been a womanizer. I was skeptical when he started seeing Irina hoping he didn't hurt her but..." Garrett said trailing off. Kate knew where he was going with this. "I like Irina. She's got a bubbly cheerful personality about her that's pure and innocent." He said to her. Kate smirks.

"Yeah she's something." Kate said.

"It must've been interesting in the Denali household growing up." Garrett said smiling. He thought Kate would have funny memories to recall. Kate laughs while chewing her food.

"Yeah it was interesting. Irina is the baby of the four of us so. Eli was the sucker…I mean big brother of the four of us." Kate said as Garrett laughs.

"You said sucker. What was that all about?" He asked her smirking. Kate laughs.

"No it's just that we were able to get away with a lot of stuff when we were younger and he'd always keep our secrets from mom and dad." Kate said as Garrett watched her smirking. "What?" Kate asked smiling.

"You were up to no good." Garrett asked her smiling as he is eating his food.

"No." Kate said defending herself. Garrett looked over at her as the two started laughing. "So did your sisters have you wrapped around their little fingers growing up?" Kate asked smiling.

"Well no. I was the baby so I got whatever I wanted. I had them wrapped around my finger." Garrett said smirking.

"Lucky you." Kate said to him.

"Not so lucky, everything they did I was blamed for it. All I heard growing up was Garrett did it." Garrett said as Kate chuckled. "They said it so much I thought it was my name." Kate continues laughing. "In school my teacher asked me my name and I told her Garrett did it." Kate laughs hysterically. "And I actually wrote it down that way to." She continued with her fit of laughter. Garrett chuckled. It was the first time she had laughed like that in a long time. Garrett stared at her love stuck. Her smile is so beautiful. Kate's laughter died down. "How are you doing?" He asked her.

"I'm ok." Kate said to him.

"Is therapy working for you?" He asked her. Kate looked up at him. "I only ask because you were pretty tense when we first met. It seems like things have been better for you."

"How do you figure?" She asked.

"Well for one thing you're smiling more and that's a good thing. You're a bit more relaxed and you're talking more." Garrett told her. Kate smiled. The fact that he paid attention to her behavior and noticed the change in her met that he was definitely watching her. "Last but not least, you're laughing at my jokes. Not many people get my humor." Garrett said to her.

"I do. To answer your question, therapy is working. Talking is helping me cope a lot." Kate said.

"I'm glad to hear that." He said to her. She smiled. Both eat in silence for a few minutes. After eating the lovely meal that Garrett had delivered to her room, Kate turned on some soft music. Garrett had cleaned up the table and put the table back in the storage room where it originated. While he was gone, Kate smiled. No guy had ever gone out his way to impress her nor did he go out his way to treat like a princess. She is loving every minute with Garrett. He was the first guy that truly loved her. It was scary yet exciting and it made her feel special. Garrett returned to the room smiling. "That's a nice song."

"Yeah it is." Kate said to him.

"Do you wanna dance?" Garrett asked.

"Ok." She said as Garrett goes over to her and extends his hand. Kate takes his hand in hers. He gently pulls her into him as the two sway back and forth to the music. Garrett's hands find her the small of her back. Kate leans her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. It was beating fast. Though Garrett wore a poker face, he was quite nervous around Kate. The guy is definitely in love. The way she smelled was intoxicating. She smelled like a mix of strawberries and vanilla. He leans into her taking in her aroma. Her aroma was turning him on. He kisses her head. Kate looks up at him and smiles. "Thank you for this evening."

Kate enjoys being that close to him. His tall stature and muscular physic was intoxicating to her. She loved tall men. That wasn't what she liked most about Garrett. His caring, compassionate, humorous, giving and loving nature was what was liked about him. The fact that he paid attention to everything about her is what's making her fall in love with him. Kate had never been in love before and the feeling is incredible. She considered herself very lucky.

"No thanks needed. I love spending time with you Kate. I look forward to seeing that beautiful face every day." Garrett said to her. Kate looked at him. Both leaned into each other and began kissing. Kate deepens the kiss. Her tongue evaded his mouth. Garrett gladly allowed her the access of his mouth. Kate was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. Arousal. She felt it building up in her lower region. Kissing Garrett is a turning on. She began to remove his shirt. He removed hers. She's standing in her pink bra while Garrett is shirtless. She pulls away from a moment to eye his muscular form. Garrett could see the lust in her eyes. He could see the lust in her eyes. He's displaying the same expression. Both are extremely aroused by the other. Garrett wanted to be sure she was ready to make love. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. She nods. Garrett begins to seductively remove her skirt. Kate steps out of it. She's wearing her pink panties. Garrett stared at her perfect form. He thought she was so fucking hot. His erection is visible through his pants. Kate smiled nervously. She was ready for him. She removed Garrett's pants. He steps out of them. He's wearing black boxer briefs. His prick is visible. The two begin kissing again. Garrett methodically removes Kate's bra exposing her c cup breasts. Her perky nipples spring to life. Garrett leans over and takes her left tit in his mouth. Kate throws her head back enjoying Garrett's tongue. She moans as he fingers her tit in his free hand. Feeling bold she begins to rub his pulsating cock in her hand. Garrett is bigger than she thought. He goes back to kissing her lips. Garrett lifts her up into his arms. Kate wraps her legs around his waist as he takes her to her bed. Garrett removes her panties exposing her pussy. Kate didn't have much hair down there which was perfect for Garrett. He begins kissing her lips then moving down to her nipples. He sucked, teased and licked her nipples. Kate's moans were making it hard for Garrett to maintain his erection. He kissed his way down to her pussy. He licked her clit. Garrett separates her legs. Kate moans loving the fact that Garrett is doing this to her. She had never been given oral before and it was driving her crazy. Garrett continued sucking her clit while sticking a digit into her. He repeated this until Kate ultimately came. Garrett continued to suck her clit til he was sure she was done. Now it was his turn to get off. He moved back up towards her lips kissing her deeply allowing her to taste herself. This was a turn on to Kate who moans again. Garrett removes his boxers exposing his thick nine inch cock. Kate as even more aroused at the girth of his size. Garrett guides his prick to her entrance. He enters her pussy. Both groaning he enters her inch by inch. Kate grabs Garrett's arms as he goes deeper in her. Garrett begins to pound her pussy. Kate loves it. They're moans and groans being heard by her dorm mates. Neither cared. Kate was getting something she hadn't had in a long time. Garrett leans in and kisses Kate's lips. Feeling their climax approaching, Garrett quickens his pace. Soon both screamed as they came together. After woods they fell asleep together.

"Can't believe he fucked her and then dumped her." Emmett said sinking a cue ball at the pool table. He was visibly upset and needed an outlet. He wanted to punch Laurent in the face. Instead, he, Jasper and Edward decided to let off some steam by playing pool at the local pub. This was the best way for him to let off the anger he was feeling. He had at one point considered Laurent a friend and knew how he was. To Emmett Laurent wasn't a friend anymore.

"You know how Laurent is with women." Jasper said watching Emmett attempt to sink another cue ball into the hole and misses.

"Yeah but did it have to be our cousin?" Emmett asked angrily. "I don't care how he is with other girls but he shouldn't be that way with our cousin."

"I hear you man. He's a pig plain and simple." Jasper told him as he sinks a striped cue ball into the hole.

"Guys, Laurent is still a friend. Yeah he's a pig walking on all four but that doesn't mean we push him away." Edward said.

"Sounds to me like you're taking his side bro." Emmett said.

"I'm taking anyone's side." Edward said.

"Yes you are." Emmett shouts at his brother.

"No I'm not." Edward responds.

"Guys stop arguing. I don't know why we're even talking about it. This is Irina's issue to deal with." Jasper said. "Emmett I know she's your cousin and all but we can't get in the middle of her issue with Laurent."

"She's a big girl and can handle herself." Edward said to his brother. Emmett sighs.

"I know she is. It's just that I hate seeing her cry like that. It bothers me." Emmett said. Edward went over to him and patted his shoulder.

"I know it does bro. It bothers me to. Irina is the most vulnerable of her sisters but that doesn't mean that she can't hold her own or handle herself. We have to be confident in her that she'll move on."

"Having your heart broken sucks but it's a part of life dude. She'll move on." Jasper said as Emmett nods. Laurent walks into the pub with Nettie and Lucy at his side. "Speak the devil's name and he shall arrive." Jasper adds as Edward smirks. Emmett frowns hard wanting desperately to confront him.

"He seriously didn't just walk into the pub with that bitch did he?" Emmett asked his question rhetorical.

"And Lucy, don't forget Lucy." Edward said as Jasper laughs.

"I'm gonna go have a chat with him." Emmett said about to walk over and confront Laurent but is stopped by Jasper and Edward.

"Come on bro. Now's not the time." Edward said holding him back.

"Yeah let's just leave. Come on." Jasper said as they walked away and out of the pub unseen by Laurent, Nettie or Lucy. They're game was over.

Riley is in his room studying. He was glad that this business with Laurent was over. He could finally focus on his work. He was pissed at Laurent. Then again everyone was. Laurent didn't care about Irina. If he had, he wouldn't have cheated on her with Nettie. Riley liked Irina and didn't want to see her hurt. The real reason he was pissed at Laurent was because he put him in a situation where he had lie to Tanya. He never really wanted to lie to Tanya because he knew she hated it. Besides, what he did couldn't really be described as lying. He merely kept the truth from her. Tanya didn't like that either. He was finally able to focus on his work. He wondered if Tanya was pissed at him. There's a knock at his door.

"Come in." He said without looking up. The figure moves into his room and stands there watching him. He didn't realize it was Tanya who walked into his room.

"Studying hard or hardly studying?" Tanya said to him. He looks up at her and smiles. She smiles back.

"Both." He responds as they both chuckle. "How's Irina?" He asked.

"She's coping." Tanya said.

"You, how are you?" Riley asks.

"I'm fine." Tanya said going over to sit next to him on his bed. Riley watched her.

"I'm so sorry Tanya." Riley said to her.

"Why?" Tanya asked.

"For not telling you about Laurent cheating on Irina. To be honest, I didn't really have any real proof he was cheating on her." Riley told her.

"But you suspected as much?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah. I kept thinking if I told you what was going on then you wouldn't believe me and it cause us to fight. Then again by me not telling you, you got mad at me. I was confused about the whole situation and pissed at Laurent for putting in this predicament." Riley told her. Tanya looked on sympathetically. She didn't blame Riley for what happened to her sister.

"I don't blame you." Tanya said to him. "Truth is this whole thing has got everyone mad at Laurent. We all know what he's like. The only ones who don't are Kate and Irina. Alice warned Irina but my sister can be hard headed at times."

"Broken hearts are a bitch." Riley said looking down at his hands. Tanya stares at him wondering if he's speaking from experience.

"Sounds like you've had your heart broken a few times." Tanya said.

"Am I that transparent?" Riley asked her smirking. Tanya smirks.

"Tell me about them." She asked curious to know.

"My first grade teacher, Mrs. Chambers broke my heart. I had the biggest crush on her but she was married. I even told her I loved her and she smiled and said that's nice _'Riley you're just a kid'_." He said smiling. Tanya smiled to. "Then there was Candice Fowler. She was my first girl friend."

"What happened?" Tanya asked.

"She dumped me for Mitch Wilkins. He was an athlete and she wanted him and not me." Riley said looking down. "It took me two months to get over that. The last one was when I was in high school. Nancy Thomas. She was a sweetheart but her heart wasn't with me. She was in love with another guy. Then I met you our freshmen year of college and I haven't looked back." Riley told her. Tanya smiles at him. "You my dear are my longest relationship and I'm so in love with you. I love you Tanya."

"I love you to Riley and I'm in love with you." Tanya said leaning over and kissing his lips.

"You wanna stay the night?" He asked her.

"Ok." Tanya said as the two began kissing. Riley got up off the bed to close and lock his door. Then he goes back over to Tanya. The two proceed to make love.

Lucy and Nettie were playing a game of pool and were playing against Laurent. They each took turns shooting to double team him. Not that he noticed. He spent most of the time venting about Riley and the others and how they are ignoring him. Nettie was getting annoyed with him. Lucy was already annoyed. She personally didn't like Laurent because he wasn't the kind of guy worth Nettie's time. Lucy didn't understand what she saw in him. The pub was an hour away from closing. Laurent continues to vent.

"I just don't get why they are ignoring me. It's not like I met to hurt Irina. I like her but I don't know if we're compatible. Sure we had fun but I don't know if we're met to be." Laurent said then taking a shot and missing. Lucy and Nettie smirk. "Damn." He said as Nettie moves towards the table with her cue stick. "Riley, Garrett and I have been friends for so long. Why would they ignore me?"

"Gee I don't know." Lucy said sarcastically. Laurent all but ignored her sarcasm.

"Babe, would you stop talking about them." Nettie said to him.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I miss my buddies." Laurent said to her. "They're my friends I hate the fact that they're ignoring me."

"Aww does it little Laurent when someone hurts his whittle feelings?" Lucy asked sarcastically in a little baby voice. Laurent rolled his eyes but didn't respond. Nettie smirked thinking her friend's comments were pretty funny.

"Could they really hate me that much?" Laurent asked to no one in particular. Finally tired of his rambling, Nettie goes over to him and kisses his lips. Lucy looked on disgusted by their lip lock. Laurent kisses Nettie back. Lucy was happy Laurent was silenced but disgusted by his actions. She rolled her eyes and continued the game they were playing.


	13. Death Of A Friend

True Love

Chapter Thirteen

Death Of A Friend

The sun rose high above the Miami skies. A young woman is walking towards the last room at the end of the hall. She is a student at Miami University and is about to go for a jog. She usually went jogging with Marlene but she wasn't able to yesterday. Marlene was usually up at this time. Why hadn't she gotten up? Maybe she overslept. The young woman got to Marlene's door and knocked.

"MARLENE, time to go jogging." The young woman yelled to her. No response. "MARLENE, you in there?" The young man called to her. There's still no response. The young woman decided to open the door. She stopped upon seeing Marlene in her room on her bed. The room looked as if there had been a struggle. Little did she know there was a struggle and Marlene came out on the bad end of it. The young lady moves towards Marlene's bed to wake her. "Marlene." She called to her and notices that Marlene's body is ice cold. Her skin was pale white and her eyes have turned grey indicating that she was dead. Her neck locks like it's been snapped. The young woman lets out a piercing scream. Everyone on dorm heard her scream. She ran out of the room. She told the resident advisor what she saw and the resident adviser went to take a look in Marlene's room. The resident advisor called campus security who phoned the police.

Miami Dade police swarmed the campus and the dorms. Everyone on campus had found out that Marlene was dead. None knew how she died and it didn't stop them from speculating. A crowd had formed around the dorm building. The young woman told the police what she knew which wasn't much. The police were baffled. Police are canvasing the area. Yellow tape was placed across the door of dorm. No one but the police and coroners were the only ones allowed on dorm. Marlene's body was properly being handled. The forensics team is on dorm are taking pictures of Marlene's dead body. Detective Sean Maine was called and informed about the situation. His car pulled up to the dorm building. He gets out and heads inside.

"What happened?" Det. Maine asks.

"A young woman was found dead in her dorm room." An officer said as they walked towards Marlene's room.

"What's the victim's name?" Det. Maine asked.

"Marlene Briggs." The Officer responds. Det. Maine stopped in his tracts.

"What?" Det. Maine asked.

"Yeah the victim was Marlene Briggs." The officer responds.

"Shit!" Det. Maine cursed. Both continued onto her room. Det. Maine walks into Marlene's room and sees her body sprawled out on the bed. He frowns at the sight of her body. "What happened?"

"Her neck was snapped. This girl was in some sort of struggle and fought for her life but lost that battle." The Coroner said to him. The coroner is a stocky female of Spanish decent. She hated seeing dead bodies but it paid the bills. "Who could've done this to her?" She asked. Det. Maine thought about it for a moment. His phone rings.

"Detective Maine." Det. Maine said answering his cell.

"Detective it's Nate here. I've got some bad news." Nate McMillan said to him.

"What's that?" Det. Maine asks.

"Royce King escaped prison last night." Nate told him.

"What?" Det. Maine asked shocked. "How?"

"They don't know. They're looking through the entire prison for answers. He probably had this planned since he got in prison."

"He couldn't have done this on his own. He had help." Det. Maine said to Nate.

"Of course he did. I just wanted to give you the heads up." Nate said to him.

"I've got worse news." Det. Maine said to him.

"What happened?" Nate asked.

"Marlene Briggs was murdered last night." Det. Maine said to him.

"Shit! She was friends with Kate Denali. She testified against Royce in court. You know what this means?" Det. Maine asks.

"Yeah, he knows where Kate Denali is. You need to get out there and warn Kate Denali." Nate told him.

"Right." Det. Maine said as they hung up with each other. Detective Maine dialed the number to his Lt.'s office. The Lt. answered. "Lt. Dobs, I need to get to Seattle Washington. Kate Denali is in danger."

"Sean, we have a murder case here you need to investigate." Lt. Dobbs said.

"Can you put me on speaker? I know Miles is there with you." Det. Maine said as headed out of the dorm building towards his car. He got in and drove off heading off the Miami campus. Lt. Dobbs presses a button the phone putting himself on speaker with Det. Maine. Det. Maine's partner is there is sitting in a chair in the Lt.'s office.

"You're on speaker." Lt. Dobbs said to him.

"What's up partner?" Detectives Miles Campbell said. He's Det. Maine's partner.

"I'm heading to Seattle to make sure Kate Denali is safe. Royce King escaped prison and is undoubtedly on his way there to kill her. Marlene Briggs is the victim killed in her dorm room.

"How?" Lt. Dobbs asks.

"Her neck was snapped. The perp surprised her, she struggled and then her neck was snapped. I know Royce was the one who killed her." Det. Maine said to them.

"Why do you think Royce killed her?" Det. Campbell asked.

"Because she was friends with Kate Denali." Det. Maine said.

"He must've figured Marlene knew where Kate was and used Marlene to get Kate's location before killing her." Lt. Maine said.

"I need to get there and help her out." Det. Maine said as he continues towards the airport.

"Ok. I'll call the airport and purchase a ticket so that it's there waiting on you when you get there. Do you have a change of clothes?" Lt. Dobbs asks.

"Yes in the trunk of my car. I always keep spear suits in there." Det. Maine said.

"Ok. Call the Seattle PD and alert them to what's going on and that you'll be needing their assistance." I'm gonna follow up by faxing them a request for assistance on your behalf."

"Ok." Det. Maine said as he races on the highway towards the airport. "I'm also gonna get in touch with the dean at Seattle University to inform him on what's going on and that I'm on my way."

"Ok. Give us an update when you get there." Lt. Dobbs said.

"Will do." Det. Maine said as they both hung up with each other. He is still thirty minutes away from the airport. Lt. Dobbs got on the phone with the Miami airlines and purchased a ticket to Seattle for Detective Maine. Det. Campbell took the lead in investigating Marlene's murder. Det. Maine arrived at the Miami airport. He parked his car, grabbed his duffle bag with his extra suits in them and headed inside of the airport. He went through all the security procedures that they have at the airport before heading to the front desk. "Excuse me. I'm Detective Sean Maine. My Lieutenant purchased a ticket to Seattle for me. He said it would be ready for me to board a flight."

"Ok let's check." Said the receptionist. She checked the computer and saw the purchased ticket. "Ok Detective, it looks like your ticket was purchased about thirty minutes ago and you're all set. I'd need to see some ID beforehand."

"Sure." Det. Maine said pulling out his badge and showing her his identification.

"Thank you sir." Said the receptionist. She begins to print out the ticket information for him. "Ok sir, the flight to Seattle boarding now at this gate here." She said handing him the ticket.

"Thank you." Det. Maine said to her.

"You're welcome sir. Enjoy your flight." She said as Det. Maine headed for the gate with his duffle bag and headed for the plane. Det. Maine boarded the plane and is sitting in seat A row one. He put his duffle bag in the compartment up his head. He then sat down. He hoped that he'd get there in time to assure Kate Denali is safe. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number to Seattle University. The phone rang and a young woman picked up. "Yes I'd like to speak with Dean Winters please." He said casually.

"Who may I ask is calling?" The young woman asked politely.

"Tell him it's Detective Maine from Miami." Det. Maine said.

"One moment please." The young woman said as she phoned Dean Winters. She let him know that Detective Maine was on the other line. He told her to put the call through. "Detective, I'm patching you through to his extension."

"Thanks." He said as he heard a beep sound indicating that he had been connected to Dean Winters.

"Dean Winters." Mr. Winters said.

"Mr. Winters, hi this is Det. Maine. We spoke before about Kate Denali." Det. Maine said.

"Yes I remember. How are you Detective?" Mr. Winters asked.

"Oh I'm fine. I wanted to check in on Kate. How is she doing?" Det. Maine asked.

"She's fine. She's a great student, her grades are amazing and she seems to be doing better." Mr. Winters said.

"Ok is she safe?" Det. Maine asked.

"Yeah she is. She has her sisters and cousins who attend this university so she's ok. Why what's going on?" Mr. Winters asks.

"Kate's ex escape prison and is coming after her. I'm on my way now to help. I need you to beef up campus security and alert them to what's going on." Det. Maine said.

"Ok. Should I alert the Seattle police department here?" Mr. Winters asks.

"No. I'm going to get in touch with them. Just make sure she's ok." Det. Maine told him.

"Ok I will have security keep an eye on Kate." Mr. Winters said. "Don't suppose I should tell her about her ex coming after her?"

"No don't tell her that. I don't want her to freak out." Det. Maine said.

"Oh alright." Mr. Winters said.

"There's something else." Det. Maine said. "I need you to inform Kate that her friend Marlene was murdered last night. Kate knows who I'm talking about."

"Oh dear. Ok I'll let her know." Mr. Winters. "Thanks for the update. I will speak to Kate and she'll be kept safe."

"Thanks Mr. Winters. See you soon." Det. Maine said.

"Bye now." Mr. Winters said as they both hung up their phones. Mr. Winters sat in his chair a moment. He gets on his phone and dials Kate's cell number. The dean has access to all the students numbers to ensure safety as well as making sure they show up to class.

"Hello." Kate answers.

"Kate its Dean Winters, I need to talk to you." Mr. Winters said.

"Why what's going on?" Kate asks.

"I need to tell you this in person. Is there someplace we could meet?" Mr. Winters asks.

"Yes. I'm leaving class right now. We can meet on the park bench." Kate said as she leaves her history class.

"I'm on my way." Mr. Winters said as he hangs up the phone and leaves his desk.

While the plane is in the air, Detective Maine glances at his watch. Since leaving Miami twenty minutes ago, he knew he had about five hours and thirty-eight minutes to go before ending up in Seattle. He decided it was time to make that call to the Seattle PD. He dialed the Seattle PD office an officer responds.

"Seattle PD." Said the young officer.

"This is Detective Sean Maine of the Miami Dade Police department. I need to speak with the person in charge." Det. Maine said.

"Hold on please." The young officer said. He transfers the call to Captain Lou Matthews.

"Captain Matthews." Captain Matthews said answering his phone.

"Hi Captain Matthews. My name is detective Sean Maine from the Miami Dade Police department." Det. Sean Maine said.

"What can I do for you detective?" Captain Matthews asked.

"Well I need your department's assistance in capturing a fugitive. The fugitive's name is Royce King, He was sent to prison for assault and drug possession. I believe he's on his way to Seattle to locate and kill his ex-girlfriend Kate Denali." Det. Maine said trying to explain it all in one shot.

"How was the ex-girlfriend involved?" Captain Matthews asked.

"She's the one he assaulted. You see he was abusing her. He put her in the hospital and the drug charge was added when police found a stash on him." Det. Maine said.

"And you believe he's coming here to kill his the ex?" Captain Matthews asked.

"Yes. He escaped prison and is on his way there." Det. Maine explains.

"So how can we help?" Captain Matthew asked.

"Kate currently attends Seattle University and I need you and your department's help with make sure she's safe as well as apprehending Mr. King." Det. Maine said that. Just as he said that A fax from Lieutenant Dobbs requesting Seattle's assistance came into Captain Matthews's office.

"Well Detective it seems as though you're Lieutenant has perfect timing. I just received a fax on your behalf requesting assistance on your case." Captain Matthews said. Detective Maine smiles silently thanking his Lieutenant. "Ok you got it."

"My plane touches down 2pm." Det. Maine said.

"Ok, Detective Michaels and I will meet you there." Captain Matthews said.

"Thank Captain." Det. Maine said as he and Captain Matthews hung up their phones. He hoped that Royce hadn't beaten him there though Royce was several hours ahead of him having left by bus in the middle of the night. He hoped Kate was ok.

"Kate." Mr. Winters said to her as he approached the bench. Kate turned around to see him. She could tell something was wrong. He sat down next to her.

"Mr. Winters hi. You said you needed to talk to me?" Kate asked. She was worried something bad had happened. She had no idea how right she was.

"Yes. I wanted to ask you how you were doing?" Mr. Winters asked.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" Kate asked.

"I got a call from Detective Maine." Mr. Winters said. Kate fell silent awaiting on him to tell her that Royce had somehow gotten out of jail and is coming after her. Though this is true, he was instructed by Det. Maine not to tell her that but that she needed to know her friend was killed. This was going to be hard.

"And what happened?" Kate asked.

"He informed me that a student at the Miami University was killed. I believe you know her. Marlene Briggs." Mr. Winters said to her. Kate's face dropped. She placed her hands over her mouth and began to sob.

"NNNOOO!" Kate cries.

"I'm so sorry." Mr. Winters said to her. He places a hand over her shoulder.

"How did she die?" Kate asked sobbing.

"She was killed." Mr. Winters said to her.

"Oh god." Kate said sobbing harder. "Oh no did Royce King escape prison?" Kate asked. Panic in her voice. Mr. Winters wanted to tell her but decided not to alarm her.

"The police are investigating her death. Det. Maine didn't mention him." Mr. Winters said doing a good job of hiding the truth from her. He also knew Kate wasn't stupid either. Kate wipes tears from her face. Kate stood up. "I'm sorry Kate. I know she was your friend. Det. Maine would've told you himself but he's working on the case and thought it'd be best if I told you." He said as Kate nods.

"Thanks for letting me. I have to go." Kate said as she walked away quickly wanting to get to her room. Her closest friend Marlene was killed and she needed to be alone. This hurt deeply. Kate got to her room, went over to her bed and began sobbing harder. Alice who was in her room studying saw her pass by. She could tell that something was wrong and wanted to check in on her cousin. She hears Kate crying and comes to her door.

"Kate, what's wrong?" Alice asked walking into her room. Kate doesn't respond. Alice goes over to her bed and sits down next to her. Kate continues to sob into her pillow. "Katie, please tell me what's wrong?" Alice asks again. Alice instinctively rubs her back comfortingly. Kate sits up with tears in her face. "Oh cuz, what's wrong tell me?" Alice asks.

"My friend from Miami was killed. She was my best friend and now she's dead." Kate said sobbing.

"Oh god I'm so sorry." Alice said pulling Kate into her. Kate sobbed on Alice's shoulder. Alice is horrified but continues to comfort her cousin.


	14. Paranoid

True Love

Chapter Fourteen

Paranoid

Having learned the bad news about her best friend Marlene's death, Kate had spent the rest of the morning in her room. She didn't know the specifics of Marlene's death but knew she was sad about it. She also suspected that Royce had something to do with it. She hadn't heard about his escape but that didn't stop her from worrying. Marlene's death is too much of a coincidence. Alice had been in her room comforting her. She decided that she wanted to be alone. Since then, Kate had spent her alone time reminiscing about her friendship with Marlene. She had been looking at pictures of her friend while sobbing to herself. She replayed Mr. Winter's words to her in her head. _"She was killed."_ That could've met that Marlene may have been in an accident of some sort. Mr. Winters did tell her that he didn't know the details so maybe Marlene was the victim of an accident. Kate thought to herself. Or maybe Royce had killed her, had escaped prison, knows where she is and is on his way to kill her. Kate didn't know and this was what was driving her crazy. She shut her photo album and turned over on her bed. She really didn't want to be bothered.

Garrett had gotten to class hoping to see his lovely girlfriend Kate. After their love making last night, he was on cloud 9. It was the first time he hoped of many romps to come. He looked around the classroom but there was no sign of Kate. She usually came to class early or she'd come with him. He was confused. Maybe she took a nap and overslept. He didn't know but he'd check in with his girlfriend after class. As the class went on, the professor went on with his lecture. Garrett kept looking around to see Kate had come to class but she hadn't shown up. This wasn't like her. Once class was over, the professor asked Garrett where Kate was. He didn't know and that he'd find out. Garrett leaves the building and begins heading towards the dormitory. He sees Alice walking with her phone in her hand playing with it. He goes over to her hoping she tell him where Kate is.

"Alice, Alice." He called to her she looked up to see him walking towards her. She stops to let him catch up to her.

"Hey Garrett." Alice said smiling.

"Hey, have you seen my girl. She wasn't in class." Garrett asked concerned.

"She skipped the rest of her classes today." Alice told him.

"Why is she not feeling well?" Garrett asked.

"After that romp last night I'm surprised she could walk." Alice smirked teasingly. Garrett smirked to.

"I guess you heard us last night." Garrett said to her.

"You'd guess right. It turned Jasper on and we ended up having a romp of our own." Alice said to him. "Kate's ok but she's been crying."

"Why what happened?" Garrett asked wanting to protect his girlfriend.

"A friend of hers from Miami was killed and Kate found out and is grieving." Alice told him.

"I'm gonna check on her. Thanks Alice." Garrett said taking off. Alice waved to him before continuing on in the direction she was originally going.

Det. Maine's plane arrived at the Seattle airport. He got off the plane and with his duffle bag. Waiting on him were Captain Matthews and Detective Michaels. Det. Maine wanted to head straight to the campus to make certain Kate was ok. He would need to brief them on the situation.

"Detective Maine I presume?" Capt. Matthews asked.

"Yes." Det. Maine said carrying his duffle bag.

"Captain Lou Matthews. This is Detective Michaels." Capt. Matthews said introducing themselves to Det. Maine.

"Nice to meet you guys. Sorry we have to meet under these circumstances but it's dire that Kate Denali be protected. Det. Maine said as they headed out of the airport and to Det. Michael's car.

"Ok what happened with the case?" Det. Michaels asked.

"Kate Denali and Royce King were dating a little under two years. Kate said that he was abusive towards her. Royce had a drug problem as well as a drinking problem. Last summer, Royce came to Kate's room and assaulted her. He beat her up so bad that she was hospitalized. Kate's friend Marlene was there as well and witnessed the assault and Royce had hit her as well. Officers later spotted Royce's car with him in it. He had been drinking and drugs were found on him. He was arrested, tried and convicted of his crimes. He threatened to kill Kate Denali and her family as well as Marlene Briggs. He's already made good on his promise to get Marlene. She was murdered last night in her dorm room." Det. Maine said to them as they listened. "Kate's records were sealed and she was relocated to Seattle University. Royce escaped prison and now knows that Kate is here in Seattle. He's planning on killing her unless we stop him."

"Ok. Now that we're caught up, where do we go?" Det. Michaels asks.

"Seattle University. That's where Kate is." Det. Maine said.

"Let's go." Capt. Matthews said as Det. Michaels sped towards the campus.

The bus from Miami to Seattle arrived this morning. Both Royce and Cameron got into a cab and headed for a cheap motel. They put their bags down then showered and changed. Cameron told Royce he needed to sleep. Royce said ok and that they had time. Royce stared at himself in the bathroom mirror and decided that he needed to change his look. His long hair would make him very recognizable to Kate. He needed a different look. Royce went a car rental place and rented a ford explorer. He then went to the local pharmacy to purchase clippers. Once the clippers were purchased, Royce then got back in the car headed back to the motel. He decided to shave his head down to a crew cut style. The kind of hair cut men in the military have. He had also shaved his beard to. Once he was done, he glanced at Cameron who was knocked on one of the twin beds. Royce smirked and headed back out.

Using the map he stole while in the car rental place, Royce drove to the Seattle campus. He figured he'd go check out the campus himself. He came upon the security gate and knew the guards would ask for ID. He turned the car around and headed away from the campus. He realized if he was going to snoop and watch Kate, he was going to have to be hidden. He parked the car two blocks away from the security gate and got out of the car. He put his sweater on and put the hoody over his head. He saw several students walking towards the campus gate. He decided to blend in. The security guard wasn't paying much attention to the students. He figured they were all students and let them in. Royce walked pass the campus gate without being seen. To really blend in, he brought a Seattle University baseball cap and sweat shirt. He began walking around the campus until he can spot Kate. Sure enough sitting on the bench is Kate. She looked fetching. Too bad he's going to kill her. He notices the somber look on her face. He figures she must've found out about Marlene. Royce smirked to himself. Just as he about to make his way over to Kate, he sees a tall guy walk up to Kate and sits down next to her. Royce backs up and stays hidden and decides to watch.

"Hey you ok?" Garrett asked Kate who is seated on the bench. Garrett sits next to her. Kate has a somber look on her face. Garrett can tell she had been crying.

"No I'm not ok." Kate said to him. Garrett moves closer to her and puts his arm around her shoulders. Kate leans into him.

"Babe what's wrong?" He asks her. "Talk to me." He asks.

"I found out that my closest friend from Miami was killed." Kate said as the tears began to pore down her face again.

"I'm so sorry baby. Come here." Garrett said pulling her into him. Kate sobs on his chest. Garrett comforts his girlfriend. Neither of them knew Royce was watching them.

Det. Michael's car pulls up to the security gate. The security guard asked why they were here. Det. Maine said that Hank Winters is expecting him. The security guard called Mr. Winter's office and was informed to let the cops in. Behind them are several squad cars. The students around campus noticed this. Det. Michaels's car pulls up to the curb of the main building. Hank Winters is there to greet him.

"Mr. Winters, it's good to put the face with the name." Det. Maine said extending his hand to Hank.

"Like wise Detective." Mr. Winters said.

"With me are Capt. Lou Matthews and Detective Dan Michaels. Seattle PD's finest. They're assisting me in this case." Det. Maine said as Mr. Winters shakes the hands of the captain and the detective.

"Nice to meet you both" Hank said as the captain and the detective nodded. "Is the extra man power necessary?"

"Yes. Royce has escaped and could be here right now as we speak. I need you to print out copies of his picture and pass it out to your guards. The officers will get a copy as well. We're going to canvas the area for him." Det. Maine said.

"Ok no problem. Follow me." Mr. Winters said as he, Detectives Maine and Michaels along with Captain Matthews all headed into the main building. Copies of Royce's mug shot was given to all of the officers as well as the security guards. Their instructions were to search the grounds for Royce King.

Royce saw the police presences and decides this is the moment to slip away. Now that he knows Kate is a student at this school, the next step is finding a way to get to her. Several students leave the campus. Royce does exactly what he did before walk out with the kids unseen by the security guard. Before slipping away though Royce takes one more glance towards the bench where Kate was sitting with Garrett. Both are standing up now. He watched as Garrett kissed Kate lovingly trying to comfort her. This enraged Royce who frowns hard. He didn't like this one bit. He turns and calmly walks back towards the car and pulls off. He knows he needs to keep his cool if he's to accomplish his goal.

Alice and Irina are coming from their classes and notice all the security guards around campus. They've never seen so many cops around campus before. This was pretty odd. Something must've happened to have the police and the security guards working together.

"What is up with the extra man power?" Tanya asks as she and Riley meet up with Tanya and Alice.

"Don't know but it must be really bad." Irina said not realizing the security were there to make sure Kate was safe.

"I wonder who's in trouble." Riley said smirking. He figured this all had to do with Laurent.

"I don't know but I'm gonna find out one way or the other." Tanya said.

"Maybe there's a conspiracy going on campus grounds and the police are here to search it." Irina said as Riley chuckled.

"If that were the case, the freaking FBI would've been here as well." Alice said.

"Oh yeah that's true." Irina said a little clueless.

"Nah whatever is going on is much more local than the FBI." Alice said. She had no idea how right she was.

"Ok. Enough speculating. Let's go find out." Riley said as all four made their way towards the main building.

Mr. Winters and his secretary help set up the conference room as a command post. The officers would be doing overtime work to ensure that Kate Denali is safe and that to capture Royce King. Det. Maine, Det. Michaels and Capt. Matthews are overseeing the command post. Mr. Winters had come into the conference room. Det. Maine pulls him aside.

"How's Kate doing?" Det. Maine asked.

"Well she was fine. She was adjusting well to the campus. Her grades are spectacular, she's a remarkable student. It also helps that she has two sisters one younger and the other older that attend this college. She also has three cousins who attend this college as well. Kate is surrounded by family and had been getting better, that is until she found out about Ms. Briggs." Mr. Winters said.

"I can imagine. She and Marlene were close." Det. Maine said to him. "You didn't tell her about Royce King did you?"

"No not at all. I didn't want to scare her. I figured I wait until you got here to talk to her." Mr. Winters said.

"Good, good." Det. Maine said.

"What happens now?" Mr. Winters asked.

"Now we wait. If Royce plans on hurting Kate, he's got to come to the campus to do so. We've got all of the guards and officers working in shifts." Det. Maine said.

"How many?" Mr. Winters asked.

"Three shifts, morning 7am-3pm, 4pm-11pm, and 12am-6am. Capt. Matthews is heading home. Detective Michaels and I will stay on campus." Det. Maine said to him.

"Ok, there's a lounge that has two huge couches. Make yourselves comfortable." Mr. Main said. Det. Maine nods. "I'll give you the keys when I'm on my way out."

"Thank you. Listen I appreciate the co-operation. I want to make sure Kate survives and her crazy ex is put back behind bars." Det. Maine said as Mr. Winters nods.

"When do we break the bad news to Kate?" Mr. Winters asks. Det. Maine looks away thinking about his question. How was he going to tell Kate that her ex has escaped jail and is looking for her? How would Kate react?


	15. The Truth

True Love

Chapter Fifteen

The Truth

Detective Maine had spent some time contemplating on how to break the bad news to Kate Denali. He knew how she would react. Who could blame her? With her ex out of jail, this met her safety was at risk. It wasn't just her safety at risk. Her family's safety was at risk as well. Her sisters and her cousins' lives were at risk. Royce had threatened to kill them all. He already made good on his promise to kill Marlene. Would Kate fall victim to Royce? Little did they know that Royce had already been on the campus and has seen Kate. Of course he wasn't dumb enough to do anything to her in public. He'd simply bide his time and be patient. Det. Maine went over to Mr. Winters.

"Hank, call Kate Denali. Tell her to come to your office." Det. Maine said. Hank nods and makes the call.

"Ok." Mr. Winters said then getting on his office phone and dialing Kate's cell number.

"Hello." Kate said over the phone.

"Kate it's Dean Winters, you need to come to my office." Mr. Winters said then hanging up the phone. Kate stared at her cell phone for a moment before getting up off her bed. She placed her shoes back on her feet. After talking to Garrett for awhile, Kate had decided to go back to her room. She wasn't in the mood to talk nor did she want company. Tanya and Irina had called her but she didn't pick up the phone. She just wanted to be alone. Getting this call from Mr. Winters met that something had changed or he had learned some new information about Marlene's death and thought it'd make her feel better if he told her about it. She grabbed her light jacket and headed to the dean's office.

On her way there, Kate began to notice the police presence around campus and new something was up. She hadn't noticed this before. She enters the main building and heads towards dean winters' office.

"He'll be right with you Ms. Denali." Came the voice of his secretary. Kate nodded sitting down in one of the empty chairs. Mr. Winters came out of his office.

"Kate, how are?" Mr. Winters asks.

"I'm ok under the circumstances. What's going on?" Kate asked.

"There's someone here who's been wanting to talk to you since he got here." Mr. Winters said to her. Kate looked confused. "Come with me." He said as he escorts Kate to his office. Kate sees Det. Maine sitting in one of the chairs. With him are Det. Maine and Capt. Matthews.

"Kate, how are you?" Det. Maine asked as he stood.

I'm ok. Detective, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Why don't you have a seat and we can talk." Det. Maine asked. Kate sat down across from Detective Maine.

"Is this about Royce?" Kate asked.

"Yes. He has escaped prison." Det. Maine said.

"NOOOO. I knew it. I fucking knew it." Kate said panicking. "He knows where I'm at. He knows I'm here and is coming for me." Kate said as tears begin to fall down your face.

"I understand you have family that attends this university?" Det. Maine asked.

"Yes. My sisters and my cousins." Kate says through her sobbing.

"Do they know what's happened to you?" Det. Maine asked.

"No. I didn't tell them. I've been keeping it from them. I was doing fine until now." Kate said crying.

"I'll call them and let them know to come the office. Kate you'll need the support." Mr. Winters said.

"NO. You can't." Kate said to him.

"Kate they should know the truth." Det. Maine said trying to calm her.

"No. If you tell them, it'll put them at risk. Royce already wants to kill me, I won't let him hurt them to." Kate said sobbing.

"Kate, what if he kills them anyway? If you don't tell them what's going on, they can't protect themselves." Det. Michaels added. "That's why we're here, to make certain you and your family are safe and to capture Royce King."

"To do this Kate, your family needs to know what you went through." Capt. Matthews adds.

"Ok." Kate said giving in. Maybe telling her family what she went through not only would help her cope with what happened but would give her the support she needed. Kate kept this secret to herself all this time and now it was time for her to let it out. Mr. Winters was on the phone dialing Tanya's number.

Tanya is at the Library studying. Irina and Alice are with her. Alice had confided in them about Kate's friend Marlene being killed and how it affected Kate. Tanya had called her several times but got no answer. Irina did the same and the result was that Kate hadn't picked up her phone. They figured she wanted to be alone. Tanya was worried for Kate and knew she was going through something but hated that Kate wasn't talking to her about what she's going through. She glances at Irina who is getting advice from Alice about a class they have together when Tanya's phone rings taking her from her thoughts.

"Hello." Tanya said answering. She tried to lower her voice due to the fact that they are in the library.

"Tanya, it's dean Winters, you and your sister need to come to my office. Kate is with me and so are the cops." Mr. Winters said.

"Ok I'm on my way." Tanya said hanging up the phone. She didn't hesitate. She didn't need to know the details just yet. All she heard was cops and Kate and this got her worried more than she already was. She began to gather things.

"Who was that on the phone?" Irina asked.

"Dean Winters. He said that Kate is in his office with the police." Tanya told them.

"Why what happened?" Alice asked alarmed.

"I don't know but I'm damn sure gonna find out." Tanya said. Alice and Irina followed suit gathering their things to exit the library. Tanya dials Riley's number. The phone rings.

"Hey babe." Riley answered.

"Listen, I'm heading to the dean's office. Kate is with him and the police. I need to know what's going on." Tanya told him.

"Shit. We'll meet you there." Riley said hanging up his phone. He had a worried expression on his face. He looks over at Garrett who is standing with him.

"What? What's wrong?" Garrett asked.

"That was Tanya on the phone. It's Kate. She's at the dean's office with the police." Riley told him.

"Come on." Garrett said as they took off for the dean's office across the campus.

Edward and Emmett are walking towards their dorm. With them are Bella and Rosalie. The four had just come from their prospective classes and had decided to meet up for lunch. None of them were away of what was going on with Kate.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a cow." Emmett said.

"Keep eating those cows and you'll look like one." Rosalie said as Bella and Edward laughed.

"Haha." Emmett said. Edward's phone rings.

"Hold up." Edward said stopping to answer his phone. He sees the LCD screen and recognized Alice's number. "Hey sis, what's up?"

"Kate's in dean Winters' office with the police. Tanya, Irina and I are on our way there. Riley and Garrett are on their way as well." Alice said to him.

"What happened?" Edward asked alarmed.

"That's what we're going to find out. You have to meet us there. Is Em with you?" Alice asked.

"Yes." Edward said looking at Emmett who looks on concerned.

"Ok bring him with you." Alice said.

"Ok we're on our way." Edward said as he hangs up his phone.

"Ed what's wrong?" Rosalie asked.

"That was Alice. She said Kate is in dean Winters' office with the police. They're on their way there." Edward told them.

"The police?" Bella asked confused.

"What happened?" Rosalie asked genuinely concerned for Kate.

"Not sure. We need to get there to find out." Edward said.

"Then let's go." Emmett said as they bolted for the dean's office.

Laurent sees Jasper walking out of his class. He knew that if it was one person who might listen to him its Jasper. He decides to try catching up to him. He wanted someone who could at least talk to Irina on his behalf. Laurent knew that they didn't want to talk to him right now but he couldn't help but try.

"Hey Jasper what's up?" Laurent asked. Jasper rolled his eyes. "Come on man don't be like that."

"What do you want Laurent?" Jasper asked him annoyed.

"I just want you to talk to the others for me. Look, I know I fucked up. I know why Irina is mad with me but I don't understand why you guys are isolating me." Laurent said to him.

"Ok fine I explain it to you. Emmett, Edward and Alice are pissed at you because of all the girls you could do this to it had to be their cousin. Tanya and Kate feel the same way. Riley told you not to do this to Irina but you did anyway. Garrett feels the same way. Bella and my sister didn't really like you all that much to begin with and me well I thought you would at least break up with her before seeing Nettie but that didn't happen. Now you get it." Jasper said frustrated. His cell phone rings. "Hello."

"Jas thank god I got you." Alice said to him.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked. Laurent looks on concerned.

"It's Kate." Alice said to him. He could tell how worried she was through her to voice.

"What about Kate?" Jasper asked.

"She's at the dean's office with the police. We're on our way now. I'm not sure what's going on but we're going to find out." Alice told him.

"I'll be right there." Jasper said he hangs up his phone.

"Everything ok with Kate?" Laurent asked.

"Not sure. I'm going to find out now." Jasper said.

"I'll come with you." Laurent said to him.

"No you stay away." Jasper said as he begins to sprint towards the dean's office.

Tanya, Alice, Irina, Riley, Garrett, Emmett, Edward, Bella, Rosalie and Jasper all arrived at the dean's office. Mr. Winters was amazed at how many people are in Kate's life. She truly was blessed but understood why she worried for their safety. Tanya is the first to speak.

"Mr. Winters, where's my sister?" Tanya asked.

"She's in my office. I'm gonna bring you guys into the small conference room. She's going to be escorted by Detective Maine." Mr. Winters said.

"What's going on?" Irina asked worried.

"Kate's going to explain everything to you guys. Come with me." Mr. Winters said as Tanya and the others are all escorted into the smaller conference room. All sat down in the ten chairs there. Mr. Winters brought in three more chairs one for Kate, one for detective Maine and the other for himself. Kate was escorted into the room by detective Maine.

"Kate!" Irina called out to her. She could see Kate had been crying. She wondered what could make her sister cry. The look on Garrett's face told him everything he needed to know. He was worried for his girlfriend.

"Are you alright?" Tanya asked. Kate nods.

"Hi everyone. My name is Detective Maine. I work at the Miami Dade police department. I was the one who helped Kate with her case before the summer and helped her relocate out of Miami. I only know you guys by name. I'm gonna let Kate explain everything." Det. Maine said.

"Kate what's going on?" Tanya demanded to know. Kate let the tears fall down her face. She was scared of how they would take what she was about to reveal to them but she couldn't hide it any longer.

"Kate, it's time they knew the truth." Det. Maine told her. Kate nods preparing herself.

"Ok, remember how I told you guys that I relocated because of a broken heart?" Kate asked.

"Yeah." Tanya and the others nod remembering that she had ts them that.

"Yeah well that wasn't entirely true." Kate said to them. Tanya and the others waited for her to continue. "It all started about two years ago." Kate begins to speak. "I was dating my ex Royce King. Everything was fine until…" Kate said as the tears began to pore down her face again.

"Until what?" Tanya asked.

"There was a reason I transferred schools." Kate says now sobbing. "I transferred schools to escape being abused at the hands of my ex. He beat me every chance he got." She said as they watched her. "Royce was abusive towards me. He even raped me on more than one occasion." She said as the others looked on horrified.

"What did he do exactly?" Irina asked. Kate looked over at her.

"At first it started off as a slap here, a slap there. Then it escalated to a full on assault. He punched me in the face, kick me in the face, he kicked me in the ribs. It was a nightmare." Kate said as the tears continued to fall down her face. She took a deep breathe trying to calm herself before continuing. "I finally got up the courage to leave him. He didn't take that well. He showed up to my dorm room the night before finals and assaulted me. He beat me until I was unconscious. The last thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital severally bruised. Detective Maine said that Royce had been arrested and tried in court. He was convicted." Kate said. She was afraid to look up at the many faces in the room. Everyone wearing similar emotions. Jasper, Riley, Rosalie, and Bella felt bad for her. They had no idea she had to endure such abuse. Emmett and Edward felt bad for Kate and angered that neither of them would get the chance to confront Royce. Alice just wanted to reach out and hug her cousin to comfort her. Alice wasn't a confrontational person but get her pissed and the claws come out. Tanya and Irina felt horrified by what they heard. Tanya was also hurt that her sister hadn't confided in her about the abuse. The only one wearing an angered expression was Garrett. He had no idea that the woman he loved had been beaten up by her ex-boyfriend. No wonder it was hard for her to trust anyone. His fist clenched in his hands. Royce was no man in his eyes. No man should ever put his hands on a woman no matter what.

"I knew something was wrong." Tanya said to them. "I could sense it." She said as Kate looked up.

"That's why I didn't come home for the summer. I didn't want you guys asking questions about my face. I couldn't leave anyway. I spent six weeks in the hospital." Kate said. Tanya looked on sympathetically.

"Why didn't you call us?" Irina asked angrily to the detective. "We would've come to see you."

"Irina." Alice said to her.

"No. You should've said something." Irina bellowed. Everyone glared at her including Kate.

"No." Kate said.

"Dad was sick and now we find out that she was in the hospital. You should've called." Irina yelled tears falling down her face. Kate knows how Irina felt. She was hurt that her sister hadn't contacted the family when this all happened and she was scared that her sister would die."

"IRINA" Tanya yelled. Irina looked over at Tanya. Irina sat back down in her seat. "Kate couldn't have known that dad was sick. We didn't know she was hurt." She said looking at Kate who looked at her.

"Kate didn't want you guys knowing because you're lives are in danger as well." Det. Maine said to them.

"What do you mean?" Tanya asked.

"Royce knows about you guys." Kate said to them. "He knows that I have three cousins who attend this school and he knows about my sisters and brother. He threatened to kill all of us. Mom, dad, you, Tanya, Eleazar, Carmen. He's even threatened to kill Edward, Emmett and Alice. He also knows where we live. He's been to the house before." Kate told them. "That's why I didn't say anything. I thought that if I kept you guys in the dark about what happened to me, then you'd be safe. I was trying to protect you guys." She said crying.

"Marlene Briggs already lost her life because Royce killed her." Det. Maine said.

"Now he's after Kate?" Garrett said speaking up for the first time. They looked over at him. Kate looked at him through her tears. She wondered what he was thinking.

"Yes. If he's here, it's only a matter of time before he attempts to hurt Kate." Det. Maine said.

"This guy may go after you guys as well." Mr. Winters said.

"Let him try. I'll hurt him first." Emmett said angrily.

"He's already killed once. He will try to kill again." Det. Maine said.

"We'll protect her." Edward said.

"We'll protect Kate." Emmett adds nodding. "She's our family."

"I'll do it." Garrett said standing up. They looked over at him.

"No offense Garrett but Kate's our family and family looks after family." Emmett said to him.

"No offense Emmett but Kate is my woman and I plan to protect her with my life. When this is all over with, I will make her a part of my family." Garrett said to him. Kate was shocked at what Garrett was saying. "Now, you can either help me protect her or get out of the way."

"We'll help." Edward said.

"No." Kate said. "I don't want anyone getting hurt or dying because of me. I don't think I can handle that."

"I'm not going to let him hurt you." Garrett said to her. "I'll kill him first."

"We will all protect her." Alice said.

"I'm in." Bella said.

"Count me in to." Rosalie said.

"I don't go anywhere without my sister. I'm in to." Jasper said.

"You know we got your back." Emmett said as Edward nods.

"I'm here for you to Kate." Riley said.

"You know you can't get rid of us so easily." Irina said causing Kate to smile.

"We're here for you baby." Garrett said to her.

"As long as we're here, he can't hurt you." Tanya said to her. She leans across the table and takes Kate's hand in hers. Irina adds her hand as well. The three sisters vowed to keep each other safe. Garrett looked on vowing to protect the woman he loves. Detectives Maine, Michaels and Captain Matthews watched impressed with support Kate has. They would make sure Kate was taken care of. Royce better watch his back because they aren't going to make it easy for him to get to her. Would Kate be safe from him?


	16. Encounter

True Love

Chapter Sixteen

Encounter

Kate had gone to the café to get some coffee. All this talk about Royce was bringing up bad memories for her. It also didn't help that he was out of jail having escaped. She steps in the café and gets on line to order her coffee. She stops dead in her tracks as she spots Royce at a table. He had come back to the campus having never really left. Royce figured he come in contact with her. He smirked. His presence scares her deeply. He stood up from the table. Kate felt her legs go numb. She couldn't move. She didn't want to fearing what he would do. Would Royce actually attack her in the presence of so many people? She didn't know. Maybe Royce knew he was going back to jail and didn't care. Finding the feeling in her legs again, Kate gets off line and tries to make a B line for the exit but Royce goes to block the door. Kate stops keeping her distance. Royce moves a few closer to her. By now everyone in the café is watching the scene unfold.

"Katie, Katie, Katie. Been so long since I've seen you." Royce said menacingly. Kate doesn't respond too frightened to speak. The look of fear is written all over her face. Royce loves it. "I've been watching you."

"HHH-How long?" Kate stammers out.

"Long enough to know you have a new man in your life." Royce told her. "How is he by the way?" He asked. Kate doesn't respond. Royce reaches out to grab a hold of her shirt but Kate moves. Suddenly he's grabbed from behind and thrown to the floor. "Who the hell did that?" He asked angrily getting back to his feet. He comes face to chin with Garrett Parker.

"We have a problem here?" Garrett asked standing protectively in front of Kate. Garrett glares at Royce. Royce smirks at him.

"You must be Kate's new man." Royce smiles evilly.

"You must be her ex." Garrett said his velvet voice replaced by deep anger. Garrett stares at him daring him to try something.

"Kate talk about me?" Royce asked.

"Vaguely." Garrett responds. Royce stares at Garrett sizing him up. Garrett is a tall guy but Royce isn't scared of him. Kate watches the scene a bit relieved that her boyfriend showed up to help her and shocked that she's come close her ex again. "I'm the new man, the only man in Kate's life now and if you touch her again, I'll fucking kill you." Garrett said with venom in his voice.

"Ok yeah. You and what army?" Royce said smirking. He didn't see Emmett and Edward come up behind him. Garrett smirks staring them. Royce sees this and turns around just in time to see Edward and Emmett standing behind him. Both are glaring at him angrily while moving to stand next to Garrett.

"You were saying?" Garrett said smirking. Royce begins to back up towards the exit.

"I'll see her again. It's only a matter of time." Royce said winking before leaving out the door.

"Kate you ok?" Edward asked her. Kate sighs deeply before leaning into Garrett who takes her into his arms.

"I'm calling campus security." Emmett said as he got on his cell phone.

Edward had the worker bring over a cup of water for Kate who is shaking like a leaf. Garrett has her in his protective arms. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Kate is cradled in his arms while seated in a booth. Edward is sitting across from them. Emmett is watching out for campus security. Two uniformed campus security guards came into the café.

"Someone call campus security?" Guard one says.

"Yes that was me." Emmett spoke up as he led both guards towards the table where Kate, Garrett and Edward are sitting. "My cousin Kate had an encounter with her ex twenty minutes ago."

"He's probably still on campus." Guard Two said. "What happened?"

"I was getting coffee when I saw him." Kate said sobbing. "I saw him. I didn't move. I couldn't. He said he's been watching me. It wasn't until he went to grab me that I moved." Kate said unable to hold back her sobs.

"I shoved him onto the floor to keep him from hurting her." Garrett said. "He said he'd see her again." He continued rubbing her shoulder.

"Edward and I got a good look at him as well. We know what he looks like if he tries coming after our cousin again, he's going to pay for it." Emmett said angrily.

"Ok. You guys stay with her. We're contacting Det. Maine and the dean." Guard one said as he and the other security guard said as they stand guard outside. They were made aware of Royce King. Emmett can hear them speaking to another person on the walky talky. Emmett dials Tanya's number.

"Hello." Tanya said.

"T it's Em, listen we just met Kate's ex." Emmett said to her.

"What?" Tanya said concerned. She had gone to her next class. She was still in class during Royce and Kate's confrontation.

"He confronted her. If it hadn't been for Garrett getting in his face, who knows what he would've done. We know what he looks like though and if he shows his ass here again, we're gonna kick it." Emmett said.

"Where's Kate now?" Tanya asked she walks fast out of the building where her class was held.

"We're at the café. She's shaken up scared but ok." Emmett said.

"I'm on my way." Tanya said as she hung up her phone.

"Hey wait up." Irina said running to catch up to Tanya.

"Come on we have to get to the café." Tanya told her.

"Why what happened?" Irina asked.

"It's Kate. Her ex showed his face." Tanya said as they hurried towards the café.

Royce gets back to the car unseen by campus security. He smiles to himself. Cameron turns to him wondering what happened. Cameron had been the one to drive having gotten his beauty sleep. Royce looked over at him thinking hard about his plan.

"Did you see her?" Cameron asked.

"Yes I did." Royce said to him. "I also got to meet her new boyfriend."

"Interesting." Cameron said to him. "What happens now?"

"Kate is more protected than I thought. I'll have to find another way to get to her." Royce said.

"Knowing you, you'll figure something out." Cameron said starting the car.

"You know I always do." Royce said smiling as Cameron pulled away in the SUV.

Tanya and Irina had arrived at the café. Tanya sat next to her to comfort her. Kate hadn't moved the poor girl was too shaken up to move. Garrett spent the majority of the time holding her. Kate felt so safe with Garrett around. Hell she felt safer with her family around her but that still didn't keep her from being afraid of Royce. Irina stared at them realizing that it was time to call their parents and get them involved. Kate would need all the support she could get. Irina dialed the house number hoping their mother would pick up.

"Hello." Came the voice of Sasha Denali. She is Eleazer, Tanya, Kate and Irina's mother.

"Mom hi." Irina said to her.

"Rina hey baby how are you?" Sasha asked excited to hear from her youngest daughter. She hadn't heard from her daughters since the school year started. She called Irina by her knick name. Rina short for Irina.

"I'm ok." Irina said smiling sporting a worried look.

"How's school?" Sasha asked.

"School's fine. Mom, you and dad have to come the school." Irina said to her. Sasha's smile disappeared.

"Why what's going on?" Sasha asked alarmed.

"Uhhh…" Irina could barely get the words out. Tears begin to pore down her face.

"Rina what's the matter?" Sasha asked.

"It's Kate. She's in trouble. Her ex-boyfriend is trying to kill her. You and dad have to come to the campus. We need you guys." Irina said sobbing. Edward came up behind her taking the phone from her. Irina leans into Edward sobbing. She's scared for her sister. Edward instinctively puts his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey aunt Sasha it's Edward." Edward said to her.

"Edward what's going on?" Sasha said worried.

"You and uncle Joe need to come to the campus. Kate's crazy ex wants her dead. He's already come after her once. We're doing all we can but it would help if you guys were here." Edward said to her.

"Ok. I'm on my way." Sasha said hanging up her phone. She then called her husband Joe and informed him on what's going on. Joe left his job early and came home. Both had packed a bag and made sure to turn everything off in the house before leaving.

"Your mom and dad are on their way." Edward said. Tanya and Irina sighed deeply relieved to hear that. Kate was to but she didn't know how her parents could help her.

Detective Maine walked into the café with a couple of uniformed officers in tow. He spots Kate cradled in Garrett's arms while Tanya rubbed her back to comfort her. Across from them sits Irina cradled in Edward's arms while Emmett rubs her shoulder. They were truly worried for Kate's safety and were doing everything they could to protect her. He walks over to the six.

"Hey guys. Campus security told me that Royce was here, is that true?" Det. Maine asked.

"Yes." Garrett responds. "He tried to get to Kate and I stepped in his way."

"Kate happened?" Det. Maine asked.

"He was here when I came in to get coffee. I was shocked I couldn't move. He said he's been watching me and it wasn't long before he'd get me. He went to grab me when Garrett shoved him getting between Royce and me." Kate said as the tears pour down her face. She was too afraid to do or say anything.

"I'm staying with you tonight." Garrett told her. Kate nods.

"Oh thank god." Alice said as she made her way into the café with Bella and Rosalie in town. "What the hell happened?" She asked.

"We met her ex Royce." Emmett said to her.

"Did he try to hurt you?" Rosalie asked.

"He almost got to her if it wasn't for Garrett getting in the way and shoving him." Emmett said.

"Then we showed up just in time to help him." Edward said.

"He's going to get to me. It's just a matter of time." Kate said sadly. She felt hopeless. Tanya continued to rub her shoulder.

"We're all going to stay with you tonight. We're not letting him hurt you Kate. Ok?" Tanya asked. Kate looked on sadly. She didn't want her sisters, cousins or friends hurt because of her. Tanya's cell phone rings. She sees the screen and recognizes Riley's number. "Hey babe."

"Hey what's going on?" Riley asked her.

"Listen, I'm here with my sisters. Kate's ex tried to hurt her." Tanya said.

"WHAT!" Riley said. "When?"

"About an hour ago. Garrett stepped in before he could do anything to her." Tanya told him.

"Remind me to high five him later. Where are you guys now?" Riley asked.

"We're at the café." Tanya told him.

"I'm on my way." Riley told her.

"No. We're taking her back to her room. We're spending there night there." Tanya told him.

"Cool, tell Kate she's got another guess. I'll be there." Riley said to her.

"Thanks baby." Tanya said as they hung up their phones. "Riley's spending the night to." Tanya said as Kate smiled through her tears.

"I hope your room is big enough. You're gonna have five smelly guys in it." Bella said attempting to make her laugh. Kate chuckles through her tears.

"I resent that. I smell like baby powder." Garrett said as they chuckled. They needed to take her mind off things.

"It's alright." Kate said. "I'm grateful for the company." She said.

"Captain Matthews, I'm gonna need several officers at Kate's dorm room tonight. She's going to have several friends spending the night but we need the coverage." Det. Maine said using the walky talky doing everything he can to keep her safe.

"No problem. They need to have a list of the people who are going to be in her room and give to the officers." Capt. Matthews said.

"No problem." Det. Maine said as he goes over to Kate. Campus security had let him know that they did a perimeter check and there's no sign of Royce. "Hey guys I just to give you an update on the situation." He said as they all looked at him. "Campus security did a thorough check of the campus grounds and found no signs of Royce. Now that doesn't mean that he wasn't here nor that he won't show back up. Captain Matthews will have cops posted all around the campus and on the dorms. Also there will be four officers to watch out for you guys tonight. All I'll need is a list of people who are going to be in the room with you Kate." Det. Maine said to her. Kate nods.

"I'll take care of that." Alice said as she took out a note pad from her bag as well as a pencil and began to write out all the names who will be in the room with her tonight. The names she wrote down are as followed: Kate Denali, Garrett Parker, Tanya Denali, Irina Denali, Riley Biers, Emmett Cullen, Edward Cullen, Bella Swan, Rosalie Hale, Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale. Alice then handed the paper to Det. Maine.

"Thank you. I'm going to give this to officers on duty." Det. Maine said. "In the meantime, take Kate to her room. Stay with her." Garrett nod as he and the others got up from the table.

"Irina and I are going to dorm to grab a few things." Tanya said as Kate nods.

"So will we." Emmett said.

"Thank god we left stuff in Alice's room." Bella said as Rosalie nodded.

Garrett and Kate walk into her room. Kate wipes the tears from her face. Garrett checks the window and the bathroom but nothing. He wanted to make sure Royce wasn't hiding in her room waiting to attack her. He also checked the emergency exit outside of Kate's room to make sure he wasn't hiding there as well. When he was done, he went back into her room.

"Hey you ok?" Garrett asked her.

"No." Kate said. "I've never been this scared of another human being in my life."

"I won't let him hurt you." Garrett said to her.

"I know you and the others are trying to help me and protect me but I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me." Kate said sobbing.

"Babe listen to me, Royce is not going to harm you. I will kill him before that happens." Garrett said to her.

"He's not worth going to jail." Kate said.

"I hardly think I'll go to jail protecting you." Garrett said. Kate shakes her head crying. "Come here." He said pulling her into a hug. "You will be safe. Your sisters, cousins and I will not let anything happen to you. Jasper, Bella, Rosalie and Riley will also help protect you. No one will hurt you as long as we're here." He said she sobs. She looks up at him through her teary eyes. "I will protect you with my life. Nothing will happen to you. Ok?" He asked. Kate nods wanting to believe him but too afraid of what might happen. He pulls her into him. Kate leans her head on his chest as he kisses the top of her head. Kate felt safe in Garrett's arms. She didn't want to let him go. He could sense this with her and wraps his arms around her petite figure and holds her close.

Alice had come back to her dorm to pack a quick bag. Bella and Rosalie had left some stuff in her room before and would use that to spend the evening with Kate. Both had one last class before coming to Kate's room for the evening. Alice had stayed with Kate while Garrett dashed to his room to pack a bag for the night. Alice stayed with Kate while he was gone. She had called Jasper and told him what was going on. Jasper went to his dorm and packed a bag. He's on his way to Kate's dorm. Riley did the same. He, Tanya and Irina met up with Emmett and Edward. The five all headed towards Kate's room.

Det. Maine had four officers assigned to watch Kate's room for the night. The four officers would work together and would each take a moment to do a walk around the dorms just to ensure that everything was ok. The four officers were stationed in the lounge next to the front door by the stairs. There's a TV in the lounge as well as reading material. The four had the list of everyone who would be in Kate's room for the night. They also agreed on who would take breaks. The four also introduced themselves to Kate and the others so they'd know who was watching them.

Edward and the others are in Kate's room with the door closed. Garrett is on the bed with Kate leaning on his chest. His arm is around her waist. There sleeping bags strategically placed near her. Riley, Tanya and Irina have sleeping bags next to the student desk, Emmett and Rosalie are camped out a few feet from them. So are Bella, Edward, Jasper and Alice. The television is on. They are watching some western movie. Everyone kept glance back at Kate to ensure she was ok. Irina cringes at the site. She isn't a fan of western movies. She's the first to speak.

"This movie sucks." She said out loud. The others looked over at her. "Can't we watch something else?" she asked turning to look at Kate who had the remote.

"What do you wanna watch?" Kate asked.

"How about a cartoon?" Irina asked.

"You are a cartoon." Emmett said as they laughed.

"Oh yeah, you're a loony toon." Irina bellowed as they laughed. Even Kate laughed.

"I wanna watch a romantic movie." Alice said.

"No." Kate said.

"Why not?" Alice asked.

"Because you'll get everyone in the mood to fuck and that's not happening in this room." Kate said.

"What's wrong with a little orgy?" Emmett said.

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room asked. They knew he was joking.

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked clueless. Edward threw a pillow at him.

"No orgies in my room please." Kate said as they laughed. The room became silent for a moment.

"Kate can I ask you a question." Irina asked.

"If you're question is about Royce, I don't really wanna talk about him." Kate said.

"The real reason you didn't come home was because of the abuse?" Irina asked.

"Yes." Kate said. She sighed heavily looking down at her fingers. The others watched her including Garrett.

"Was he always abusive towards you when you first met him?" Irina asked.

"No. It started a few months after we got together. He was nice and funny and cute. He charmed me with all the money he had and everything he could get." Kate said.

"He's one of those preppy guys who could buy whatever he wanted?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah. His family is rich. I didn't care about that. I just wanted to have companionship. He ruined it by hurting me. At first he would slap me around. Then it led to him punching me in the face, my stomach." Kate said remembering every little detail of her ordeal. "The night he showed up to my room, he beat me like a piñata. I thought I was going to die, til I woke up in the hospital all bruised up. It was a nightmare." Kate said as the others watched. Garrett rubs the small of her back comforting her.

"You mentioned that he knew where we lived. How did he find out?" Tanya asked.

"I don't know. I mean he could've easily looked that up in the records department in school but I don't know. At first things seemed ok and then he became more clingy and demanding. The verbal abuse started and then he escalated to becoming physical. It didn't help that he was drinking and using drugs. He was also failing all his classes and was about to be kicked out of school. I tried to help him because I cared but I knew deep down I couldn't. Last summer when I came home, I was worried about him. He said that his family didn't want him home. I didn't know why because he wouldn't go into it. He wanted to come home with me and I said no because the summer was my time with my family. Royce wasn't happy about that. He begged me and I almost said yes but I turned him down. He left my room angrily." Kate said.

"Good." Irina said to her.

"Apart of me felt bad because he wasn't going to spend time with his family. He called my phone begging me to come the house but I kept telling him no. Then he showed up to the house. I told him he needed to leave. He wouldn't leave. Eli came outside and told Royce to get lost. He finally left. The physical abuse escalated. He got kicked out of school and then I finally broke up with him. He told I wasn't leaving him. A few weeks went by and he attacked me putting me in the hospital then end up in jail." Kate said to them as they listened.

"Now he's escaped jail and coming after you." Tanya said as Kate nods.

"He sounds like a fucking creep to me." Bella said.

"I agree." Rosalie adds.

"Why didn't you leave him the first time he hit you?" Alice asked. Kate didn't answer. She didn't know how.

"The important thing is she is no longer with that asshole. She's got a real man in her life right Garrett." Emmett said.

"You got that right." Garrett said as he kisses Kate's lips. Kate smiled at him. Garrett pulls her close to him. The others noticed how calm Kate is at the moment. They knew she felt safe with him there. She felt safe with all of them there. Irina felt bad. Everyone in the room had someone to cuddle with and she's the only one who doesn't. She decided to change the subject.

"I'm hungry." Irina said bluntly. The others chuckled.

"I second that. How about Chinese?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah." Irina said as the others began telling Emmett what they wanted. Emmett called the Chinese place and ordered the food. He went to the officers telling them that they ordered Chinese food. When the food came, Emmett brought the food to the room. Garrett and Kate were sharing an order of beef and broccoli.

"Come babe eat." Garrett told her.

"I'm not hungry." Kate said to him.

"Eat a little bit for me." He asked. Kate smiled and began to eat some of the food. Garrett had fed it to her. She felt safe but for how long? The gang continued to eating while watching a drama movie while trying to take Kate's mind off her situation. They'd do all they can to make sure she's safe hoping the police catch Royce.


	17. Help Is On The Way

True Love

Chapter Seventeen

Help Is On The Way

Kate had fallen fast asleep after eating some of the Chinese food she was sharing with Garrett. Garrett followed holding her in his arms. Her head is placed comfortably on his chest. Tanya had watched them fall asleep. She herself was tired. Tired of this whole situation. She hated that that her sister hadn't come to her and confided in her about Royce and the abuse she suffered. Wasn't sisters supposed to talk about everything? She thought so. She also that she and Kate were closer than that. Irina certainly told her everything. Then again Irina is a talker. She's friendly and naïve that way. Kate's reason for keeping them in the dark was because she was trying to protect them but meanwhile who was protecting her?

Riley looked over at Tanya and could tell what she was thinking. She must really be worried for her sister. Of course she was. Her crazy ass ex not only beat on Kate putting her in the hospital but had escaped jail is trying to kill her. Anyone would be worried. Riley knew Tanya and knew she'd never let anyone hurt her kid sister. He touched her shoulder gently. Tanya looked over at him before the two laid back onto the sleeping bags. Riley pulls Tanya close to him as the two fell asleep. Irina followed laying beside Tanya who pulled her close. Emmett and Edward cleaned up before coming back to the room. Jasper and Alice were the next to fall asleep together. Edward and Bella cuddled up under the sleeping bag. Rosalie made herself comfortable on Emmett who had turned the lights off and the TV was turned off as well. Everyone was now asleep.

The clock reads 3am. Kate jerks up from her slumber having had a nightmare. She looks over at the slumbering bodies and sighs relieved that all she had was a nightmare. She slowly got up from the bed trying not to wake her slumbering boyfriend. Kate maneuvered off the bed and then headed to the bathroom making sure not wake anyone. She was grateful that they were there. She went into the bathroom and closed the door half way. She splashed water on her face thinking about her situation. Though she was glad that her sisters and cousins were there for her, she didn't want them getting hurt because of Royce. She was glad to have Garrett in her life. She found herself loving him more and more. The man wasn't just hot but a gentlemen, very caring and loving. She wasn't just in love with Garrett, she loves him and wanted to be with him forever. He made her feel special, treated her like a lady and made her feel safe. She felt protected by him. She really didn't want to lose him. She thought about how he must feel.

Garrett awoke to the sound of splashing water. He realized that Kate was up. He decided to get up and check on her. He wouldn't admit it but he was worried for his girlfriend's safety. The two met and fallen in love, now that love is threatened by her ex. Garrett wasn't having that. Kate was his woman and he wasn't going to lose her. That wasn't going to happen. He climbs out of the bed and maneuvers around the slumbering bodies to get to the bathroom. He opens the door startling Kate. She jumps startled by Garrett's presence. She sighs.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Garrett said whispering to her. He didn't want to wake the others. He closes the door so they can talk. "You ok?"

"I'm fine. I wish everyone stop asking me that." Kate said frustrated. Garrett put down the seat on the toilet and sat down.

"Come here." Garrett said to her as Kate sits on his lap. "The only reason I ask if you're ok is because I know you're not. You can talk to me about it. I'm your boyfriend. I love you." He said to her. Kate leans her head on his.

"I know. I love you to." Kate said to him. She wraps her arms around his neck. "You're right. I'm not fine. I'm scared. I'm not just scared for me, I'm scared for my sisters, my brother, my sister in law, my parents, you." She said to him. Garrett listened. "I don't want Royce hurting you guys just to get to me. I don't know if I can handle losing people I love."

"I know you don't. We don't want anything to happen to you. I told you I wasn't going to let Royce hurt you. If it means me going to jail to protect you, then so be it." Garrett said as Kate shook her head. "Now I don't think Det. Maine would let me go to jail for defending you."

"I don't know." Kate said sadly.

"You and I just got together. I love you so much. We have a good thing going here. I will not let Royce or anyone stand in the way of our happiness. I will fight for you Kate because I believe in you and I believe in us. Ok?" He said to her. Kate smiled at him. She pulls him into a long lustful kiss. She hugs him so tight happy to have him in her life.

"I'm so lucky to have a man like you in my life." Kate said to him.

"Get use to it. You can't get rid of me that easy." Garrett said as he and Kate chuckled while holding each other.

Joe and Sasha Denali had gotten a charter flight to Seattle from Alaska. Joe arranged for a car service to be waiting for them when they got off the plane. Sasha had informed him on the plane while on the way to Seattle about what was happening. She only told him what was told to her but it was enough to have them worried for their children. They had gotten off the plane and jumped straight into the back of an SUV vehicle. The driver held the door open for them then went to the driver's side of the car and started the ignition.

"Take us the Seattle University please." Sasha said.

"You got it." The driver said as they pulled away from the charter plane.

"So tell me again what's going on?" Joe Denali asked his wife.

"Rina called and said that Kate was in trouble. She was so hysterical that Eddie got on the phone and told me that Kate's ex is trying to kill her and that we should get to the campus." Sasha explained once again.

"Oh my god." Joe said. "I swear if that son of a bitch lays on hand on any of my girls, I'm gonna kill him."

"I'm with you on that." Sasha said. Sasha was worried for her daughters. She didn't know the whole story but would find out and would do anything to protect her children. For a women in her late forties, she sure didn't look it. She had the looks of a model who had aged gracefully and the body of a thirty year old. All the men in her neighborhood thought she was smoking hot. She doesn't just have looks, she has a brain as well. She's a former History professor turned author. She's written several fiction novels based on history. Her books have sold millions. Joe was a lucky. Joe himself was a man in his early fifties but looked ten years younger. He looked nothing like a model but kept in pretty good shape thanks to his son who kept him doing all kinds of workouts. Joe is a corporate company owner and works hard to ensure the company excels. Joe loved his children, especially his daughters. When Sasha was pregnant, he was praying for girls and god blessed him with three. Joe is Ray's half-brother while Sasha Denali is the younger sister to Martha Cullen. Both are deeply worried for Kate. It took all but forty minutes to get to the Seattle campus. They are stopped by a security officer. "Excuse me, we're here to see our daughters." Sasha said.

"And you are?" Security Guard asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Denali." Joe said to him. The security guard's eyes went wide.

"Once second please." He said as he uses the dial pad on the phone and dials the main building. The secretary answers. "Hi yes this is campus security. I have Mr. and Mrs. Denali here to see the dean. Let him know." He said hanging up. Sasha and Joe waited a moment. The call came through to let them. "Thanks. You can come through. The main building is straight ahead." He said as the driver continued up the campus towards the main building. Waiting outside of the building was Hank Winters. The car pulls to a stop. Sasha and Joe got out of the car.

"Mr. and Mrs. Denali, I'm Hank Winters, dean of this prestige university." Mr. Winters said.

"Nice to me you." Joe said shaking his hand.

"Where are our daughters?" Sasha asked.

"Why don't you come with me and I'll have them brought to my office." Mr. Winters said as they all headed towards the office. The driver was instructed to wait there with the SUV. Sasha and Joe make themselves comfortable in Mr. Winter's office. Mr. Winters told the secretary to call Denali girls and inform them that their parents are here. The secretary does so.

Kate and the others are leaving her dorm. Kate hadn't gone back to sleep. She was still tired from the night before. She and Garrett spoke while in the bathroom but then the two climbed back into bed. While Garrett fell asleep, Kate listened to his heartbeat while lying on his chest. She couldn't fall back asleep fearing she'd have the dream again. Everyone started to stir about six am. First it was Alice, then Bella, then Rosalie, Tanya and Irina. The guys followed about an hour later. Everyone is up and dressed. Emmett who's always hungry suggested that go eat together as group. They all agreed. They all are walking outside of the dorm when Tanya's phone rings.

"Hello." Tanya said. Riley came up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.

"This is Mr. Winters' office letting you know that your parents are here on campus." The secretary said. Tanya's eyes went wide.

"Thanks." Tanya said hanging up her phone. "Kate, Irina, mom and dad are here."

"Come on." Irina said as she and the others began sprinting towards the main building.

Nettie and Lucy are leaving an early class they had together. Both stop noticing all the police presence on campus. Both are staring in shock. They had no idea why the police would be on campus.

"What the hell is going on?" Nettie asked a little nervous.

"I don't know but I'm not liking this." Lucy said.

"All the extra security is making me nervous." Nettie said.

"I hear you." Lucy said.

"Let's get out of here. Someplace with less police presence." Nettie said.

"Right behind you." Lucy said as the two friends headed in a different direction.

Cameron came back to the hotel carrying a shopping bag. Royce had sent him to the hardware store to pick up a few items he'd need in order to carry out his plan to kill Kate. With the police swarming the campus and all of Seattle, he didn't want to take the risk of being seen. Thus the reason he sent Cameron.

"I got what you've asked for." Cameron said placing the bag on the bed. "Ok let's see, we've got duct tape, rope, scissors, chloriform and a knife." He said showing Royce the knife.

"Nice job Cameron. This will do nicely." Royce said to him thumbing the blade on the knife.

"Can I ask a dumb question?" Cameron asked.

"Better than anyone I know." Royce said without looking at him. Cameron smirked.

"Just wanted to know why you just don't shoot the bitch and be done with it." Cameron said to him.

"Well my friend, the reason I won't shoot Kate is because it's too messy. Besides, I want to make her scream and make her pain linger before ending her." Royce said to him. Cameron smiled.

"That seems personal don't you think?" Cameron asked clueless.

"That's the idea." Royce said to him. "Let's now go over the plan." He continued as they began going over the plan.

Kate, Tanya and Irina had arrived at the main building. They rush into the building with the others in tow. They couldn't wait to see their parents. It met that they wouldn't be alone. Kate was grateful for her sisters and cousins having her back. Now that her parents are here, she felt a bit safer although she's still scared. No one blamed her.

"Girls!" Sasha squealed happily with her arms open.

"Mom." Irina and Tanya said together.

"Dad!" Kate said as they run into his their parents' arms.

"Katie." Joe said as Kate hugs him so tight.

"Are you girls ok?" Sasha asked.

"We're ok but Kate is not." Irina said.

"Kate what's going on?" Joe asks. Kate doesn't know how to respond.

"Kate you have to tell mom and dad what's going on." Irina said to her.

"They need to know the truth." Alice said. She, Emmett, Edward, Garrett, Bella, Rosalie, Riley and Jasper are with them.

"Why don't we go into my office and Kate can explain what's been going on." Mr. Winters said. They all made their way into Mr. Winter's office. Kate is sitting in between Sasha and Joe while the others gathered around her.

"Ok Katie, tell us what's going on?" Sasha said holding Kate's hand.

"Ok. Where do I begin?" Kate asked.

"From the beginning." Joe said.

"I'm gonna let you guys talk while I call detective Maine." Mr. Winters said as he exits the room.

"In my freshmen year, I began dating a guy name Royce King. The relationship was fine but I noticed he was starting to verbally abuse me. The verbal abuse escalated to him hitting me." Kate explained as the tears began to build in her eyes. Sasha and Joe looked on horrified.

"When did he starting hitting you?" Joe asked.

"A few months into the relationship. At first it started off as a slap here, a slap there. Then it escalated to a full on assault. He punched me in the face, kick me in the face, he kicked me in the ribs. It was a nightmare." Kate said as the tears continued to fall down her face. She took a deep breathe trying to calm herself before continuing. "I finally got up the courage to leave him. He didn't take that well. He showed up to my dorm room the night before finals and assaulted me. He beat me until I was unconscious. The last thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital severally bruised. Detective Maine said that Royce had been arrested and I testified in court. He was convicted. I transferred schools to escape being abused at the hands of my ex." Kate said. Sasha was horrified listening to what her daughter had to go through.

"Oh my god." Sasha said to her.

"It's the reason I didn't come home." Kate said as her parents watched her face. "I was hospitalized and couldn't come home. I was then transferred to this school so Royce wouldn't find me. Now that he's escaped prison, he wants me dead."

"Baby, how come you didn't say anything to us?" Sasha asked.

"We would've protected you." Joe said to her.

"Because Royce threatened to kill you guys as well. He said he'd kill you guys, Tanya, Irina, Eli, Carmen. He even threatened to come after Edward, Alice and Emmett. I couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt because of me." Kate said sobbing.

"How was he going to get us?" Joe asked angered.

"Because he knows where we live. Last year before the summer break, Royce said his family didn't want him to come home so he wanted to join me at our house. I told him no but he begged me. I almost caved but didn't. He was angry and called me so much when I was home." Kate said.

"You mean that was him ringing your phone like a maniac?" Joe asked.

"Yes. Then he showed up. I never told him where I lived. He wanted to spend time with me but I said no. Eleazar saw the confrontation between Royce and me and got in the middle of it. He told Royce to get lost. Royce glared at me and left." Kate said. "That's why I didn't say anything. Then I found out you were sick dad and I couldn't come home to help. I'm sorry." Kate said sobbing.

"Oh baby." Joe said pulling her into his arms protectively hugging her. "It's ok. I'm better now. You don't have to worry about us."

"He wants to kill me." Kate sobs.

"Over my dead body." Joe said. Sasha rubs her back.

"Mr. Denali, I won't let anything happen to Kate." Garrett said speaking up for the first time since they got there. Joe, Sasha and the others turned towards him.

"Who are you?" Joe asked.

"His name is Garrett and he's my new boyfriend." Kate said wiping her teary face. Sasha glances at Kate and smirks.

"We will talk later." Sasha says to her daughter who as far as she can tell is smitten with young man name Garrett. "I wanna speak with this Detective."

"He's on his way Mrs. Denali." Mr. Winters said as he makes his way back into the house.

Detective Maine's car pulls up behind the SUV parked outside. Both Det. Maine and Michaels exit the car and make their way towards Mr. Winters' office. He was informed by Mr. Winters that Kate's parents are in town and would like to meet with him. He wanted to talk to them as well.

"Eddie, call your parents and tell them what's going on." Joe said. Edward nods as he, Emmett and Alice all got up to make their calls. Edward dials his parent's house. He made sure to put them on speaker so Emmett could speak as well. The phones rings before a woman answer the phone.

"Hey ma, it's Eddie and Em." Edward said into the phone while Emmett stands next to him.

"Hi boys how's school?" Martha Cullen asks. She's their mother.

"School is fine. Uh listen something is going on here that involves our family." Edward said.

"What do you mean?" Martha asks.

"You're niece Kate is being targeted by her ex-boyfriend." Emmett said to her.

"Oh my god. Is she ok?" Martha asked concerned.

"Yes but she said her ex-boyfriend who abused her has also threatened to come after Em, Allie and myself as well." Edward said to her.

"Oh god. Should I come there or should I send you three home?" Martha asked.

"No mom. Aunt Sash and Uncle Joe are here. We're working with the police to keep Kate safe but also to capture her ex." Edward said.

"We'll be ok." Emmett said to her.

"Ok, I want you boys calling me every few hours just to make sure you're ok." Martha said. "I'm going to let your father know what's going on. Let my sister know that I'm gonna call her to find out how Kate's doing. In the meantime, I want you guys to make sure you stay out of harm's way."

"Ok ma. We will." Emmett said.

"Yeah, she's fine. Shaken up but fine." Alice said. She was on the phone with her brother Carlisle. She explained to him what's going on.

"You guys ok?" Carlisle asked.

"We're fine." Alice said. "We're working with the cops letting them know what's going on. They are working to capture her ex. Uncle Joe and Aunt Sasha are here as well."

"Ok keep me posted and stay safe. That goes for all of you." Carlisle said referring to her, Emmett, Edward, Tanya, Irina and Kate.

"We will. I'll call you back in a couple of hours to check in." Alice.

"Ok." Carlisle said as they both hung up.

"How did he sound?" Emmett asked Alice.

"Worried for all of us." Alice said. "I assume mom is worried as well."

"Yeah and we have to call her back to assure her that we're ok." Emmett said.

"Mom said she's calling aunt Sasha to let her know what's going on." Edward said. Alice nods. "What did Carlisle say?"

"The same. He's worried for Kate and us." Alice said.

"We're not leaving Kate alone." Emmett said.

Seeing that the family is being kept informed, Sasha got on her cell and dialed her son's number.

"Hello." Eleazer said on the other line.

"Hey honey its mom." Sasha said.

"Hey ma what's up?" Eleazer asked.

"Listen, your father and I are at your sisters' college." Sasha said to him.

"Ok what's going on?" Eleazer asked.

"Kate is being targeted by her ex-boyfriend. He's threatening to kill her. The cops are involved and are trying to capture this guy but in the mean time she's in danger." Sasha said.

"Don't worry. I'm on my way." Eleazer said.

"Ok." Sasha said as they hung up.

Eleazer informed Carmen on the situation and said that he was leaving to go help his sister. Eleazer was at work at the time and left. Carmen left work as well telling her boss that it's a family emergency. Both got home, packed a bag and jumped into his car driving off. He'd do exactly what his parents did, catch a charter flight to Seattle from Alaska.

Detective Maine and Michaels met up with Mr. Winters who was working overtime to see to it that his student was safe. This was why he is revered at the school. Both detectives made their way into his office.

"Mr. and Mrs. Denali, hi." Det. Maine said going over to shake their hands. Sasha and Joe stood up from their seats to shake his hand. "This is detective Michaels. He works at the Seattle PD. I'm from Miami Dade county Police department. I'm the one who's been working on the case."

"Nice to meet you to detective." Joe said.

"Detective, how come you guys didn't call us when this happened? This is my daughter. We needed to know if she was in trouble." Sasha asked a little angered. Kate had gotten up from the chair she was sitting in and stood by the window. Sasha and the others watched her. Garrett comes up behind her and gently rubs her shoulders. He leans down slightly and kisses the top of Kate's head.

"Kate begged us not to call you guys. She was embarrassed about what had happened to her." Det. Maine said.

"We have to get our girls off campus." Sasha said to Joe who nods.

"That won't work." Det. Maine said to her. "According to Kate, Royce knows where you guys live and could show up there to kill."

"So what do we do detective?" Joe asked.

"Royce is going to show his face again. He's already tried to make a move on Kate yesterday and he'll try again. When he does, we'll be there to capture him." Det. Maine said as everyone turned their attention to Kate who is now being comforted by Garrett. She has head on his chest as he held her. Joe and Sasha watched the interaction between Garrett and their daughter and realized that this guy really does care about Kate. Could she be protected?


	18. Threatened

True Love

Chapter Eighteen

Threatened

Cameron had parked the SUV a few blocks away from the campus just as Royce had done. He got out of the car and made his way through the bushes towards the main building. He blended in with the college kids hoping to gain access to the main building. He noticed all the police around the building. He realized that the cops weren't looking for him but Royce so blending in was easy. How the cops didn't know Royce had an accomplice was beyond him. He walked into the main building and slipped past security heading down the hall to the records department. He slipped into the room and looked around making sure he could find an exit. The records room has a window big enough for Cameron to slip through. He smirked and began searching Kate's file. He knew her last name is Denali so he check in the section under the letter D. He found Kate's file. He not only found Kate's file but found Tanya and Irina's files as well. He wrote down Kate's room number and her cell phone then put her file back into the cabinet before exiting through the window unseen.

Kate was taken back to her room with the others while the police followed. Sasha watched as her family surrounded her in the room. Kate sat down on her bed looking flustered. With the death threat and having told her story more than once, Kate was tired. With all the moving around everyone as doing was making her nervous.

"Guys can you please leave?" Kate asked.

"Kate honey what's the matter?" Sasha asked.

"All the moving around is making me nervous." Kate said.

"Ok honey. We don't to make you nervous." Joe said.

"I just want to be alone for a while." Kate said.

"Ok. Why don't we show you guys around campus?" Tanya said as she ushered everyone out of the room.

"Don't worry, we're watching over her." Came the voice of Officer one.

"Thanks." Sasha said as she and the others closed Kate's door leaving her to her own thoughts. All three officers are seated on chairs in front of Kate's room to ensure her safety. With everything that's been happening, she just needed some time alone.

Tanya, Riley and Alice decided to show Sasha and Joe around campus. What they were really doing was just walking around to make sure they didn't spot Kate's ex. A picture of him had been shown to Alice and the others including the police so they now know what Royce looks like. Det. Maine had told them to try and keep things as normal as possible until Royce was stupid enough to make his move. The five ended up at the campus café.

"Mr. and Mrs. Denali would you guys like something to eat or drink?" Riley asked politely.

"I'm fine thank you." Joe said.

"I'll have a cup of coffee." Sasha said as Riley nods.

"Alice, babe, you two want anything?" Riley asked.

"I'll have a coffee to." Alice said.

"Nothing for me thanks." Tanya said as Riley nods then went to get some coffee for Sasha and Alice.

"Sweetheart, how are you doing?" Sasha asked looking at Tanya. Tanya sighs deeply then shrugs. She was scared that Royce would actually succeed in killing her sister. She is worried. Sasha could see this. So could Joe. Both raised their children. They knew that Tanya and Kate were very close and that it worries Tanya that Kate could be killed.

"I'm worried for my sister." Tanya told her. Sasha nods. Of three girls, Tanya was the strongest of them all. Kate was the brainy one where Irina was the outspoken one.

"We all are." Alice said as Riley returned to the table with two cups of coffees and a vitamin water. He said down next to Tanya.

"I remember when we were little." Tanya said reminiscing. "Kate was the smart one. Irina was the loud one while I was the one keeping them together."

"We remember all the stunts you three pulled and had no idea that Eli put you three up to it." Joe said of his son. They chuckled.

"You were yelling at Irina for messing with you and you'd get Kate in trouble for doing god knows what." Sasha said.

"She started it." Tanya said as they laughed. Tanya's smile disappeared. "I'm concerned about her ma. I knew something was wrong."

"How could you tell something was wrong?" Joe asked.

"It's the way she hugged me when she saw me. It was as if she was so happy to see me, like she would never see me again."

"Who else knew about Kate being abused?" Sasha asked.

"That's the problem. None of us knew until Kate found out her ex had escaped jail and killed her best friend from Miami." Tanya said.

"Oh my god." Sasha said turning her head in anguish. She was pained by what her daughter was telling her.

"So she kept this secret from all of you?" Joe asked.

"Yes." Alice answered. "She must've thought she was protecting us from Royce meanwhile dealing with this guy on her own." Joe sighed deeply.

"Riley, tell me about Garrett?" Joe asked wanting to know about the new man in his daughter's life.

"Garrett is a great guy. He's a business major and is the quarter back on our football team." Riley explained to him.

"Really?" Joe asked intrigued. If it was one thing he loved was football. They didn't have a professional football team in Alaska but that didn't stop him from loving football. Riley is doing all he can to make sure he knew Garrett is the right man for Kate.

"Yep. Garrett is a great guy. He's trustworthy, loyal to a fault and smart. He's one of the coolest guys I've ever been friends with." Riley told him.

"How is he with Kate?" Joe asked.

"Dad." Tanya said.

"Joe." Sasha said scolding him.

"What I'd like to know who my daughters are dating. I already know Riley. I'd like to find out some info about Garrett." Joe said defending himself.

"Mr. Denali, Garrett is in love with Kate. He has loved her since the first day he laid eyes on her. He is more than capable of taking care of Kate and will protect her with his life. That I believe." Riley said boosting about his longtime friend.

"Tanya is this true?" Joe asked.

"Yes. He's right about Garrett. The guy is perfect for Kate." Tanya said to him. Sasha looked over and smirked at her husband.

Irina had decided to try getting in some studying. She headed to the library where it was quiet. She was having a hard time focusing. She was so worried about Kate's safety. It was bad enough her ex had beat on her but now the psycho was trying to kill her. She didn't want her sister dead. She threw her pen down on the table. Laurent had been watching her and felt bad that he had hurt Irina. He genuinely liked her and thought she was a great girl. The player in him caused him to hurt her deeply. He knew she was still mad at him but would do his best to make it up to her. He never really liked Nettie and didn't think she was girlfriend material. Irina on the other hand was and she was a lot more fun to be around. Why he broke her heart was beyond him. He decided to go check on her to see how she's doing.

"Hey beautiful." He said to her. Irina looked up at him frowning.

"What do you want Laurent?" Irina asked him nastily. She was putting her stuff in her bag.

"I saw you sitting here and wanted to see how you were doing?" Laurent told her. Irina rolled her eyes.

"I didn't think you cared, considering how you used me as your little fuck toy and then fucked another woman behind my back." Irina said to him. Laurent nods.

"I get it. You're still angry with me about that. I don't blame you. I fucked things up between us." Laurent said to her.

"Look, just leave me alone." Irina said to him. "Way too concerned about my sister's safety to be thinking about things with us." She said about to leave.

"Tanya's in trouble?" Laurent asked concerned.

"No Kate." Irina said angrily.

"What's going on?" Laurent asked. He really was concerned. He liked Kate and thought she was great girl for Garrett. Irina could tell he cared but at the moment she really didn't want to deal with him at this moment.

"Look it's none of your business." Irina told him as she got up from her seat with her bag and began for the front door.

"Irina, I really wanna what's going on?" Laurent asked.

"WHY?" Irina asked.

"Because I wanna help out in any way I can." Laurent said to her.

"The way you can help Laurent is staying the fuck out of it. Stay away from me." Irina said walking away from him. He watched her hurt. He knew he fucked up their potential relationship. He would try again when whatever crisis they're dealing with is over with.

Deciding he needed a work out, Garrett made his went to the gym. He was accompanied by Edward, Emmett, Bella and Rosalie. While Emmett did a few reps of weight lifting, Edward did some leg presses. Bella and Rosalie both did got on the treadmill. Garrett meanwhile is punching the bag. Using his martial arts training skills, Garrett punched and kicked the bag as hard as he could. His mind focused on Royce and what he'd do to him if Royce hurt Kate. His movements were fluid and technical. He hit the bag with such force and ferocity that sand was literally coming out of the bag. He hated Royce with a passion. How could he call himself a man when he beat on a woman? The woman that Garrett loves? Garrett would never hit a woman. Hell he doesn't even like fighting because knows he can get hurt or he can hurt someone else. He was pissed off. Garrett vowed he'd never let Royce kill her. He would kill him first. Emmett, Edward, Bella and Rosalie stopped their workout to watch Garrett.

"He's pissed." Edward said.

"Of course he is. Royce is threatening the happiness he has with Kate. I'd be pissed to if someone threatened to take Rosalie from me." Emmett adds as Rosalie blew him a kiss using her lips.

"He loves her." Bella said as the others nod.

"He's a man who is in love and will do anything he can to protect her." Edward said to them.

"Even if it met killing?" Bella asked.

"Us Cullens will do anything to protect our family. This includes our cousins as well. It looks like Garrett is poised to do the same." Emmett said.

Kate spent the last couple of hours trying to think of something other than Royce. She spent time watching a movie. She received a text message from Garrett after he was done punching the bag. Her phone vibrates indicating that the message was received. She opened her phone and smiled. The message reads:

_Missing my Katie-bear. Smiley face. _She texted him back. _Missing you to Garry-bear. Smiley face. _That text message exchange made her feel special. Garrett always knew just what to say to make her feel better. She had only known him a short while and had fallen in love with him. He made her feel like she was the only one for him. In the short time she's known him, he hadn't hurt her but made her feel wanted, made her feel like a lady, made her feel important. Garrett vowed to protect her with his life. Yes Kate found herself in love with the young man. Her phone rings. She thinks it's Garrett and decides to answer it.

"Hello." Kate said casually thinking the caller on the other line was Garrett.

"Hello Kate." Came the menacing voice of Royce King. Kate tensed up. "I'll bet you thought I was Garrett didn't you?" He asked her.

"What do you want?" Kate said to him almost whining.

"You know what I want Kate. It's only a matter of time before I get it." Royce said to her.

"How did you get my number?" Kate asked angrily.

"Oh don't worry about that sweetheart. You should be more concerned about your life." Royce said to her. Kate frowns hard. Though she is scared, she's also angry. "Oh it's going to be fun slitting you open." He said as Kate flinched.

"Leave me alone!" Kate shouted.

"I'll leave you alone when you're dead. Your family nor that boyfriend of yours won't be able to save you." Royce told her. "You're a dead woman walking." He said then hanging up on her.

Kate cries holding her phone in her hand. She rushes to the door and opens it. The three officers sitting out there see the distress look in her face.

"What's the matter Ms. Denali?" Officer one asks.

"He just called me." Kate said hysterically.

"Who?" The second officer asked.

"My ex." Kate said to them in tears. Officer one got on his walky talky and informed Det. Maine on what just took place. Kate dialed her mother's phone and waited her to answer.

"Hello." Sasha said answering her phone.

"Mom. He called me while on dorm." Kate said panicking. "He said I wasn't safe and that I was a dead girl walking."

"I'm on my." Sasha said as she hung up her phone.

"Was that Kate?" Tanya asked.

"Yes. That asshole just called her threatening to kill her." Sasha said to her. She, Joe, Tanya, Alice and Riley all left the campus café to head back to Kate's room.

"Irina." Tanya said while on her way to Kate's room. She had just called her cell.

"Hey. What's going on?" Irina said answering her phone.

"We're on our way back to Kate's room. Her ex called her." Tanya said.

"Shit! I'm on my way." Irina said hung up and heading towards Kate's room.

"Emmett, get Edward, Bella, Rosalie and Garrett and come to Kate's room. The son of a bitch called her threatening her." Riley said as he had called Emmett.

"Fuck! We're on our way." Emmett said hanging up with Riley. Garrett looked over at him and immediately knew the phone call was about Kate. They all leave the gym and rush to Kate's room.

Everyone including Detective Maine gathers in Kate's room. She's so shook up and has been crying since she got that threatening call from Royce King. Sasha was holding her daughter while Joe kept his arms around Tanya and Irina. All were afraid for Kate's safety.

"What did he say?" Det. Maine asked.

"He said he'd have fun slitting me open and that you guys couldn't save me. I'm a dead girl walking." Kate said wiping her tears away. Garrett was angry about this.

"Shit. This is getting out of hand." Joe said.

"Detective, we need to get our girls off this campus now before this guy ends up hurting my daughter." Sasha said standing up to face the detective.

"I understand you want to take her off campus but if you do, he'll follow you to your home and hurt Kate there." Det. Maine said. Sasha sucks her teeth. What he said had some truth to it. If Sasha and Joe take their girls home, Royce is more likely to follow them there and kill Kate. He understood that Sasha and the others care about Kate's safety but there are strength in numbers. If Royce is to attack Kate, he's gotta go through everyone to get to her and by then he could be recaptured and sent to a maximum state prison.

"So what do we do wait til she's killed before he's stopped?" Joe asks angrily. Det. Maine watches. "I wish I could get my hands on him. I'd fucking kill him myself. No one messes with my family!" Joe said yelling. Garrett goes over to sit with Kate who climbs into his arms.

"SSSHH. It's ok. I won't let him hurt you." Garrett whispered to Kate who leans on his chest as he comforts her. He wrapped his long arms around Kate like a blanket. Sasha smiles wondering just how long had they been going out? She was happy to see that her daughter has a nice man in her life like Garrett but is worried that she won't get the opportunity to enjoy her new found relationship. Was Det. Maine right? Are there really strength in numbers?


	19. Kidnapped

True Love

Chapter Nineteen

Kidnapped

Eleazer and Carmen's charter plane landed around 3am. Both had gotten in a cab that took them to a hotel. Eleazer was too worried about his sister to sleep. Carmen had told him to get some sleep but Eleazer wouldn't. She had no trouble falling asleep. By 7am, both were up and dressed. Eleazer had left the hotel early and went to a car rental place. He rented a Jeep Caravan then drove back to the hotel to pick Carmen up at their hotel and drive to the campus. Eleazer is pretty familiar with Seattle because Forks is about two hours away from Seattle and Forks is where his aunt, uncle and cousins live. He has passed the Seattle campus a bunch of times and recently dropped Tanya and Irina off in before the school semester was to begin. This time he was coming back to make sure his sisters were ok. His thoughts took him back to the day he dropped Tanya and Irina off at the campus parking lot. Kate was there with her bags. He hadn't seen his sister since Christmas and wondered why she hadn't come home. He didn't believe that whole wanting to see other cities excuse. There was something up with Kate. He could tell from the way she had hugged him. She hugged him as if she'd never see him again. It was pretty odd considering that Kate never gave hugs like that and was the last of his sisters he had to worry about. Then he gets a call from Tanya about Kate and it got him calling Kate. Though she sounded like she was more annoyed than anything, she definitely sounded differently.

Carmen could tell he was worried. She herself was worried about Kate. From the first time she met Eleazer's family, she fell in love with them. Kate was one of the first people to get to know Carmen. Tanya was a bit skeptical but came to love Carmen like a sister. Irina didn't want her to steal her big brother away but Carmen proved to be a good woman for Eleazer. She was soon welcomed into the family. When she heard that Kate was in trouble, she wanted to come with her husband to find out if Kate was ok.

His car had pulled up to the campus and just as his parents did. The security guard stops him. Eleazer leans his head out of the window.

"Excuse me." Eleazer said calling to the security guard.

"Can I help you?" The security guard asked.

"Yes I need to speak with Mr. Winter please." Eleazar said. "I'm Eli Denali, Kate's brother." He continued. The security guard let him through. As Eleazar drove up to the main building, the guard alerted Mr. Winters letting him know that another member of the Denali family has just arrived. Sasha knew immediately who that person was. She tells Mr. Winters that Eleazar Denali is her son. Eleazar parked the car in the front of the main building. He and Carmen get out of the car and head for the entrance to the main building. They're met by Detectives Maine and Mr. Winters.

"Hi Mr. Denali?" Mr. Winters said.

"Yes." Eleazar said extending his hand to shake Mr. Winter's hand.

"Hi I'm Mr. Winters the dean at this college. This is Detective Maine. He's working on the case." Mr. Winters said.

"Hey Detective." Eleazar said shaking Det. Maine's hand. "This is my wife Carmen."

"Hi." Carmen said shaking both the hands of Detective Maine and Mr. Winters.

"What's going on with my sister?" Eleazer asked.

"Why don't we come to my office? Your parents are here." Mr. Winters told them as all four made their way to Mr. Winters' office.

"Eli." Sasha said running into the arms of her son.

"Mom. What's going on?" Eleazer asked.

"Kate's ex is trying to kill her." Joe said to him. Eleazer looked at both his parents shocked.

"What? Why?" Carmen asked.

"We're not sure." Sasha said to them. "I'm scared that he may succeed."

"He's already tried once before." Joe said.

"I don't understand why this guy would want to kill Kate." Eleazer said angrily.

"He blames Kate for putting him in jail." Det. Maine said.

"What did he do to end up in jail?" Carmen asked.

"He was abusing Kate. This past summer he beat her up so bad she ended up in the hospital." Sasha explained.

"Oh my god." Carmen said.

"That's why she didn't come home?" Eleazer said remembering how odd it was for Kate not to be home during the summer. "She was hospitalized."

"Yep because of her ex." Joe said.

"You said that he was put in jail because of what he did to Kate?" Carmen asked.

"Yes." Det. Maine said.

"So was he let out?" Eleazer asked.

"No, escaped jail a couple of days ago and he also killed Kate's friend Marlene Briggs." Det. Maine said. "My partner and I were investigating Kate's case."

"Oh dear god." Carmen said sighing worried for her sister in law.

"Where's my sister Mr. Winters?" Eleazer asked.

"She's in class right now with her new boyfriend." Mr. Winters said.

"New boyfriend?" Carmen asked.

"Yeah his name is Garrett Parker." Sasha said.

"We're trying to locate Royce. We know he's in Seattle, we just don't know where." Det. Michaels said.

"This is detective Michaels and Capt. Matthews. They've been helping in trying to apprehend Mr. King." Det. Maine said. "We're doing everything we can to make sure Kate is safe." Eleazer nods holding his mother. All four are worried for Kate.

Kate and Garrett sitting in their usual seats while in class. Kate is trying to pay attention to the lesson but finding it difficult to do so. She's trying to write her notes for class but her hand begins to tremble. The professor goes on and on with the lesson. Everything he's saying is becoming blur to her as she is too focused on the major threat to her life. Garrett glances at her and can tell she's unable to concentrate. He places his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to him. This seems to work. Kate immediately relaxed in his arms leaning against him. For the remainder of their class, Kate was able to take notes and listen to the lecture. Garrett leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Riley and Tanya are walking towards the library. Riley had a hold of her hand as if he had been protecting her. Although she was glad her boyfriend was with her, she didn't know he was there. Riley wasn't this clingy. Tanya chalked it up to the fact that with the danger Kate is facing, she could be right in the thick of things. After all, she is Kate's sister. Tanya realizes that Riley is afraid of something happening to her as well as Kate. That's why he had been following her around protectively. Both had been quiet during the walk to the library. She decided to speak.

"You don't have to follow me Riley." Tanya said to him.

"I know but I'm watching your back." Riley said to her. "Garrett is watching Kate's back. Rosalie, Bella and Jasper are watching out for Emmett, Edward and Alice."

"Who's watching out for Irina?" Tanya asked.

"It would've been Laurent if he hadn't cheated on her." Riley said.

"You don't have to protect me." Tanya told him as they continued towards the library.

"Yes I do. I'm not letting anything happen to you." Riley said to her.

"My life is not in danger." Tanya told him.

"I know that but I'm watching out for you. Tanya, I love you and I'm not about to let something bad happened. I care about Kate and I hope the cops catch that son of a bitch but I also know that I will not let anything happen to you. Now if this means me being clingy then so be it." Riley told her. Tanya smiled at him. The fact that he was willing to protect her with his life only met that he truly did love her and she loved him to.

"Come here." Tanya said as she pulled Riley into her. The two shared a kiss. "I love you to." Riley smiled. "I'm worried for my sister." Tanya said letting a tear fall down her face. Riley pulls her close.

"Don't worry, the cops will find him and capture him. Kate will be safe again." Riley said to her.

"You really do like my sister don't you?" Tanya asked him. Riley smiles.

"It's good to get along with the family you plan on marrying into someday." Riley told her. Tanya smiled as the two kissed deeply.

Having left the library, Irina was heading towards her room when she sees Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Edward, Bella and Rosalie walking towards the main building. She runs up to them. The six of them had come from their classes and met up together heading for the main building. Everyone is on edge due to the eminent threat on Kate's life.

"Hey guys." Irina said coming up to the group.

"Hey you." Alice said pulling Irina into a hug. "You ok?"

"Yeah. I'm on edge." Irina said.

"We all are." Emmett said.

"Where were you coming from?" Alice asked.

"The library. I tried to study but couldn't." Irina said as they continued walking.

"I know the feeling. We were sitting in class and I barely heard a thing the professor said." Emmett commented.

"You're like that with every class." Jasper joked. Emmett playfully pushed him as the others chuckled.

"I'm so worried about my sister. This shouldn't be happening. I mean when you break up with someone, you're supposed to go your separate ways not threaten to kill them." Irina complained.

"Well Royce beat on Kate and blames her for him going to jail." Bella said.

"Yeah and now that he's escaped, he's out to kill her." Rosalie said.

"Well we're not letting that psycho get to Kate." Edward said.

"Speaking of safety, Edward and Emmett are watching your back with Bella and Rosalie helping. I'm watching Alice's back." Jasper said.

"He's not after us." Irina said.

"Who's not after you?" Laurent said from behind them. They stopped and turned to see him. All seven frowned hard.

"I thought I told you to get lost?" Irina asked angrily.

"I want to help." Laurent said to her. He sounded sincere but she wasn't ready to forgive him.

"Get lost Laurent." Emmett told him. Laurent ignored his comment focusing on Irina.

"Look I know I'm not everyone's favorite person right now but I'm here to help. Just tell me what's going on so I can help anyway that I can." Laurent pleads.

"Who says we want your help?" Jasper asked.

"You don't care that my sister's life is in danger, all you want is to get back in my pants and I don't want you around so just leave us alone Laurent. Go away." Irina said angrily. Laurent nods before walking away from them. For the first time in his life, he felt bad about Irina pushing him away. Of course she had a right to push him away. He had cheated on her hurting her feelings. Irina knew she had hurt Laurent's feelings. She shakes her head beginning to cry. Alice pulls her into a hug while Bella and Rosalie comforted her.

Class had ended for Kate and Garrett. Both were happy that their professor had ended that long over spoken lecture. She barely heard a word he said. Luckily for her, Garrett had the intelligence to record the lecture. No doubt it will be on the exams at the end of the semester. She was too worried about staying alive and away from her crazy ex. Both are leaving the school building.

"You ok?" Garrett asked her holding her hand.

"No. I should go home or something." Kate said looking around to check to see if Royce was around. It was bad enough he was trying to kill her, he had already gotten her phone number and knows what room she is in. Kate was frightened.

"He could follow you there." Garrett told her.

"I don't care!" Kate yelled. Garrett watched her. "I'm scared Garrett. I'm so scared of him." She as she begins to cry. "I'm scared he'll hurt someone close to me if he can't get me."

"You're family and I aren't going to let anything happen to you." Garrett told her.

"I'm afraid of Royce. I've always been afraid of him." Kate told him.

"I'm gonna let him hurt you." Garrett told her. "Come here." He said pulling her into a hug. The two have no idea they are being watched. They begin heading towards the dormitory. The two are being followed. Garrett would look back every so often to make sure they weren't being followed. Royce had been the one following them. He made sure to duck and stay hidden everytime Garrett looked back. Once they were at the dorm building, Royce ducked behind the side of the building and enters through the side door. He watched Kate walk towards her room. Garrett must've stayed behind and waited for her. There were officers and security guards all over the campus and on the dorm. Royce was able to blend in so no one saw him.

Kate's phone rings. She sighs deeply and glances at the name on the screen. She realized it was her brother who she suspected had arrived on campus to see her. She was contemplating on answering her phone. She decides to answer it.

"Hey Eli." Kate said trying to sound casual.

"Hey kiddo. Where are you?" Eleazar asked.

"I'm getting something from my room." Kate said to him.

"Ok. When you're done, come to the main building. Carmen and I wanna see you and make sure you're ok." Eleazar said.

"Ok. See you soon." Kate said to him.

"See you soon." Eleazar said before they hung up.

Royce had pulled out the cloth and pore chloroform on it. He then snuck into Kate's room. She had her back to him and didn't see him sneak in. Once she hung up her phone, Royce attacked her from behind. He grabbed Kate by her hair pulling her head back. Kate tried to scream but he put the cloth with the chloroform to her face before she could scream out. Kate struggled for a bit but her arms and legs went limp. She had passed out. Kate dropped her cell phone on the bed during the struggle. Royce quickly lifts Kate over his shoulders and sneaks out the way he came. He ran through the bushes pass the game holding Kate. Cameron pulled the car up to the curb and got out. He grabbed Kate putting her in the back seat then getting in. Royce jumped into the driver seat and drove off. Cameron tied her up in the back seat while Royce drove.

"Where is she? We're supposed to be going to the main building." Alice said wondering why it's taking Kate so long to come out of her room.

"I'm worried." Garrett said.

"I'll go check on her." Alice said running to Kate's room. She stops upon seeing that the door is wide open. Kate never left her door this open. "Kate." Alice called to her but got no answer. She went to check the bathroom but it was empty. Then she saw her cell phone. "Oh no. SHIT!" Alice said grabbing Kate's phone off the bed. "GARRETT!" Alice yelled. Garrett heard her and ran directly to the room. He wasn't alone. Two officers were with him. Garrett stops upon seeing Alice in the room.

"What? Where is Kate?" Garrett asked panicking.

"I don't know. I think Royce took her." Alice said tears poured down her face. Garrett frowned hard.

"FUCK!" Garrett yelled.

"Detective Maine." Uniformed Officer calls to the main building.

"Go ahead." Detective Maine said.

"Kate Denali is missing." Uniformed Officer said.

"What happened?" Det. Maine asks. Sasha, Joe, Eleazer and Carmen are with him. They can hear what the officer is saying.

"She was in her room one moment and now she's not here." Uniformed Officer said.

"You and the others search the entire campus for her." Det. Maine said.

"Detective what's going on?" Joe asked.

"Kate is missing. She's not in her room." Det. Maine said.

"Oh no. He has her." Sasha said starting to cry.

"The entire campus is being canvased for her." Det. Maine said.

"DETECTIVE, FIND MY SISTER!" Eleazar yelled. Carmen took his hand in hers. Sasha sobbed in Joe's arms. All four are worried for Kate's safety.

Alice and Garrett are heading towards the main building. She is dialing Tanya's number. The tears are pouring down her face. She feared the worst for her cousin. She wondered if she'd ever see her cousin again.

"Hello." Tanya answered. Tanya had decided to go to the library. She didn't want to sit around waiting for something to happen.

"Tanya it's Alice." Alice told her.

"Alice what's wrong?" Tanya asked alert.

"It's Kate. She's missing." Alice said to her.

"WHAT? Missing how?" Tanya asked.

"She was in her room and then she wasn't. I have her phone. Royce took her I know it." Alice said her voice panicking.

"FUCK!" Tanya said running her hand through her blond locks.

"Garrett and I are on our way to the main building." Alice told her.

"I'll meet you there." Tanya said hang up her phone then quickly grabbing her books, notes and labtop before leading out of the library. She bumps into Irina. "SHIT Irina you scared me."

"What's wrong?" Irina asked. She can tell something is wrong.

"It's Kate. Royce took her." Tanya said her voice cracking she's about to cry. "I'm heading to Mr. Winter's office. Mom and Dad are there."

"I'm coming with you." Irina said as she takes Tanya's hand. The two left the library.

"Hello." Edward answers his phone after it rings. He, Emmett, Riley, Bella and Rosalie are at the café. The five needed something to drink. Jasper had another class to go to.

"Eddie, it's Eli." Eleazar said to him.

"Hey what's up cuz." Edward said smiling.

"Where are?" Eleazar asked. Edward can hear the distress in his voice.

"We're at the café. Me, Emmett, Riley, Bella and Rosalie. Why what's the matter?" Edward asked.

"I'm at Mr. Winter's office. The police are everywhere. Alice called and said that Kate is missing. Detective Maine has officers looking all over campus for her." Eleazar said.

"That crazy ex of hers has her." Joe said.

"SHIT! We're on our." Edward said hanging up his phone.

"What happened?" Emmett asked.

"Kate's missing. That son of bitch took her right from under the cops' nose." Edward said angrily.

"Let's go." Emmett said as they all raced out of the café heading towards Mr. Winter's office. They needed to be with their family while the search was on for Kate's whereabouts.

The Officers along with campus security checked all over campus. There was no sign of Kate Denali. They all realized Royce has her. Detective Maine felt angered at the situation at hand. Sasha and Joe were scared to death of what Royce might do to her. Eleazar, Tanya and Irina worried that Kate could already be dead. Carmen was thinking the same thing. Emmett was being comforted by Rosalie. Edward was being consoled by Bella. Alice contacted Jasper who raced over to Mr. Winter's office to comfort his girlfriend. Riley held Tanya who had tears in her eyes. She prayed Royce didn't kill her sister. Garrett on the other hand punched the wall angered with himself for letting Kate go to her room alone. He didn't see any harm in that but also didn't think Royce had the stones to show up on campus. He silently preyed that Kate didn't die. Will Kate die?


	20. Dangerous Situation

True Love

Chapter Twenty

Dangerous Situation

Campus security and the police have been searching all around the campus for Kate's whereabouts. The big conference room in the main building had been turned into a mini command center for the police. Detective Michaels called in reinforcements to help search for Kate. Mr. Winter's office was used as a mini conference room where Kate's family can be found waiting on news on her. Joe is sitting in a seat next to his wife cuddling her. Riley is holding Tanya. Carmen is consoling a sobbing Irina. Eleazar stares out the window. Rosalie consoles Emmett who is angered and worried for his cousin. Bella was holding Edward. She knew he was concerned for Kate's safety. They all were. Jasper is holding Alice who has tears in her face fearing the worse.

Garrett paced back and forth across the room. He was in his own thoughts. Riley glanced at him wondering if he was ok. Of course Riley knew the answer to that. Garrett wasn't ok. The woman he loves has been kidnapped. He paces worried what Royce could be doing to hurt Kate. He frowned hard blaming himself for Kate being kidnapped. He promised he wouldn't let Royce hurt her and now she's gone. He feels like he failed her. Then it occurred to him. If he could find her then he could save her. Where would a sleaze ball like Royce take Kate? He figured since Royce had escaped jail and came to Seattle looking for her then he'd have to be hiding out someplace where the cops wouldn't think to look. He couldn't think straight. He was too worried about his girlfriend. If Royce hurt Kate, he'd kill him.

Kate awakes tied to a chair. He eyes flutter open. Her head was groggy. Her blond hair is a little messy. She surveyed her surroundings. From where she is she can see windows with the curtains covering them. The room is dark except for a few lights. Kate looks down at her position and realizes she's tied to a chair. Her mouth if covered. Her legs and are tied as well. She can't move. She looks over to the door and sees a guy there she doesn't know but he looks familiar. To the right of the familiar gentlemen is Royce. Kate tenses up. Royce stares at her menacingly. He moves towards her. Kate groans trying to move in the chair but unable to. Royce smirks at her.

Detective Michael along with several officers and campus security looked all over campus for Kate's location. They came up empty. Capt. Matthews called into his precinct to have all uniformed officers from every precinct in Seattle to look for Royce King. Detective Maine is still at Mr. Winter's office with Kate's family. Capt. Matthews looks over at Det. Maine who seems deep in thought. He decides to ask him about it.

"Detective you ok?" Capt. Matthews asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking." Det. Maine said.

"About?" Capt. Matthews asked.

"About this whole case. Royce escaped prison but he couldn't have done it alone." Det. Maine said.

"You think he has help?" Capt. Matthews asks.

"Oh he had help. The problem is finding the accomplice." Det. Maine said.

"Who visited him in prison?" Captain Matthews asked.

"Well the warden said he had one person visiting him, a young man by the name of Cameron Diggs." Det. Maine said.

"You think he could be Royce's accomplice?" Det. Michaels asks.

"There isn't a doubt in my mind." Det. Maine said. Sasha overheard the conversation. She remembered Kate getting a threatening phone call from Royce on her cell.

"Detective, yesterday my daughter got a threatening phone call from that SOB. He told her he'd kill her and that we couldn't save her." Sasha said.

"I found her phone on her bed." Alice said stepping forward. Detective Maine takes the phone. "Can the call be traced?" Alice asks.

"Only if she's on the phone with Royce." Det. Maine said to her. "We can find out where the call might have originated by finding out what tower the call bounced off of." He said to them. "It may give us a direct area of Seattle to focus on."

"Maybe I can help with that." Came Mr. Winters' secretary. She goes to her computer and begins typing. "We at the school have a tower that's within a 50 miles radius from the campus. We can track all calls going out as well as received. The tower within the 50 mile radius reads like a meter. Once a call bounces off a tower anywhere in Seattle, it can be traced back to its origins."

"So we can find out where Royce is?" Det. Maine asked.

"Not his exact location but the area in which the call came from. The tower the call bounced off of will tell us at least the vicinity of where the call came from." The Secretary said as she continued to typing. "The last call on Kate's phone bounced off a tower near highway 124."

"Highway 124?" Det. Maine asks. The Secretary nods. "Where's that?" He asks.

"Can you pull up the virtual map of Highway 124?" Det. Maine asks.

"Sure." The secretary said as she begins typing again.

Garrett backs up slowly and exits the room. A thought had crossed his mind. Why would Royce call Kate from Highway 124? Maybe he was calling her from a moving vehicle. Then it hit him. He wasn't in a moving vehicle. He's somewhere in that area. This must mean that he has Kate someplace out there as well. What was out there other than trees? Garrett ran his fingers through his hair pacing in small steps. Tanya, Irina, Riley and Emmett see him. The four go to check on him.

"Dude, you ok?" Riley asked putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me." Garrett said as the five sneak away heading outside of the building.

"Garrett what's going on?" Tanya asked. He stops and looks around to make sure they aren't heard.

"I'm going to save her." Garrett said to them.

"How when you don't even know where she is." Emmett told him.

"I know where she is." Garrett said angrily.

"Where is she?" Irina asked.

"Mr. Winters' secretary said that the call Royce made to her bounced off tower 124 on the highway. The only thing out there is the motel." Garrett said to them. "He must be keeping Kate in that hotel."

"How do you know she's there?" Tanya asked skeptical. The last thing she wanted to do was go on a wild goose chase.

"Because that place is the only place he could've gone where he can stay hidden. That motel is right off high 124. I'm going to save her." Garrett told them.

"We're coming with you." Irina said.

"No." Garrett said.

"She's our sister." Irina said to him.

"Besides, you can't do this alone. We won't let you." Riley said.

"We've got your back Garrett." Emmett said. Garrett nods as the five ran out of the building and towards Garrett's car. Emmett gets in the passenger seat while Riley, Tanya and Irina climbed into the back seat. Garrett got into the driver's side of his car, started the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. He drove off fast heading off campus. While Garrett drove his car, Riley took Tanya's hand in his and kissed it. She smiled but was worried for Kate. Irina leans on her shoulder taking her hand in hers. Emmett frowned anticipating a fight with Royce while worried if Kate was still alive.

Back in Mr. Winter's office, Sasha noticed that a few people were missing. She realized that Tanya and Irina were missing. She stood up and began looking around the office and even went outside to see if her daughters were out there just to get some air. Her daughters were nowhere to be found. She came back to Mr. Winters' office. Joe noticed his wife's baffled look. It was bad enough that Kate was missing, her two other daughters are now missing as well.

"Honey what's wrong?" Joe asks as everyone turned to her.

"Tanya and Irina aren't here. I can't find them." Sasha said.

"Maybe they went out to get some fresh air." Carmen said.

"No I checked. They're not out there." Sasha said.

"Come to think of it, Riley is missing." Jasper said as he looked around the large office.

"Emmett is missing to." Edward said.

"So is Garrett." Rosalie adds. "What is going on?" She asked.

"I think they went looking for Kate." Alice said.

"Oh god." Sasha said starting to cry.

"Garrett what motel is out there?" Riley asked.

"Motel 25. That's where he is. That's where he has Kate." Garrett said driving like a man possessed. "Once he escaped prison, motel 25 is the only place off Highway 124 that he could go. He knows the police are looking for him, the fucker's face is plastered everywhere."

"Then that's where we're going." Riley said to him.

"Hang on Kate we're coming." Emmett said. Garrett continued speeding down the highway.

"Do you know how much work it took me to get you here Katie?" Royce asked her menacingly. Kate groaned. Her mouth was still gagged. "What I can't hear you?" Royce said and is about to pull the gag from her mouth but chose not to. "You know my entire life I've been hated, overlooked, disrespected, pushed away and you know what Kate? I've about had it. My father hated my guts. He didn't even want me alive. My brothers didn't want around and my mother patronizes me. Does that sound like a family that loves me?" Royce asked yelling. "I mean you can see how fucked up I really am. I've got a family who'd rather see me dead then to love me! It doesn't matter that they have money, they fucking hated me. I was treated like shit and I couldn't wait to leave home. Going to college seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I thought if I could prove to them that I was smart and made something of myself, then they'd love me. Stupid me for thinking that. Then I meet you and I think I have the perfect girlfriend. That is until you started pushing me away just like my family. Then you dump me and I get arrested and go to jail. All because of you! My life has been a fucking mess and it's all your fault." Royce said to her. Kate's face is filled with tears. Royce smacks her face. Kate screams out crying. He slapped her again and again causing Kate more pain. He then punches her in the face. He punches her again in the face. Kate cries out. She's helpless at this point. She can't defend herself. Cameron decides to stay outside because he doesn't have the stomach to watch another man beat up on a defenseless woman.

Royce runs his hand through his dark hair. He goes to the dresser to retrieve the knife. Kate who's crying is terrified as to what's to come. She sees the knife and realizes this may be her end. She shakes her head as Royce smirks bringing the knife closer to her.

"I've been trying to think of the best way to kill you. At first I wanted it to be quick but now that I have you here, I'm gonna make the pain last long. I'm gonna make you suffer. I'm gonna make your pain last as long as I want it. Then I'm gonna kill you." Royce said to her smirking. Kate shakes her head pleading with him but he's too caught up in what he's doing to listen. He doesn't care that he's hurting her. "Let's see where should I start? How about your arm?" Royce said then cutting Kate's arm. She cries out in pain. "Yeah, how's that feel bitch? Huh? How's that feel?!" He screamed then cutting her leg. Kate screams out again. Her face contorting in pain. Royce grabs her hair roughly pulling her head back. "You're gonna suffer bitch. I promise you this." He said shoving her head forward roughly. Cameron stood outside listening to Kate scream. It sickened him to hear that. Kate cried out silently praying for Garrett to save her. Little did she know, he was on his way. Could they get there in time to save her?


	21. Garrett Vs Royce

True Love

Chapter Twenty-One

Garrett Vs. Royce

News had gotten around that Kate Denali had been missing off campus. The college students were on high alert. Laurent having heard the news wanted to help. He remembered that Irina and the others would be at Mr. Winters' office. He decided to go there wanting to help. He makes his way into the main building heading towards Mr. Winters' office. He's stopped by the police officer standing there.

"I need to speak with Dean Winters." Laurent said.

"It's ok you can let him through." Mr. Winters said. The officer let him through. "Laurent what's wrong?"

"Is it true that Kate Denali is missing?" He asks.

"Yes. The police are looking for her." Mr. Winters said.

"I wanna help anyway that I can." Laurent said.

"Ok." Mr. Winters said as the two made their way towards his office.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Alice asked angrily upon seeing Laurent. Edward, Bella and Rosalie glared at him. The others were confused as to who the young man asking to help was.

"Relax, I'm here to help." Laurent said.

"Who are you?" Det. Maine asked.

"This is Laurent Dubois. He's a student here." Mr. Winters said.

"Now's not the time Laurent. Just go away and let the police handle this." Edward told him.

"How are you involved with my sisters?" Eleazer asked.

"He used to date Irina until he screwed her and cheated on her." Alice said angrily. Sasha and Joe glared at him. Eleazer frowned hard. Carmen wasn't too fond of the young man who claims to want to help their family.

"Why would you want to help after what you did?" Rosalie asked.

"Because I made a mistake. I should've never hurt Irina but I want to help because I want to show her that I do care about her and want to make things right." Laurent said sincerely. Edward could tell he was being sincere. The others began to sense it as well. "I wanna help find Kate as well. I know you guys don't believe me but I swear I'm here to help. Please allow me the chance to help?"

"Ok since you want to help Laurent, how well do you know Seattle?" Det. Maine asked.

"I know it pretty well." Laurent answers.

"I think the better question would be where would Kate be taken?" Bella added.

"What a minute, my brother is missing as well as my cousins and friends. Where the hell have they gone?" Edward asked angrily.

"I agree. We need to find them." Eleazer said.

"I think they went looking for Kate." Alice said.

"Wait, can someone please tell me what's going on? Why is Kate missing?" Laurent asked.

"Long story short, Kate's ex-boyfriend was beating on her, she had him arrested, he went to jail was convicted but has since escaped and has come to Seattle to kill her." Alice said in one breathe.

"Now she's missing." Jasper adds.

"Ok." Laurent said not sure how to respond to what he's just heard.

"Ok so Royce escapes jail and comes to Seattle. He couldn't have gotten on a plane because he would've been found at the airport." Det. Michaels said.

"Right. We also know that he has an accomplice in a man name Cameron Diggs." Det. Maine. "How can a person travel from state to state without being detected?" He asked.

"Maybe they drove." Sasha said. "It would take a couple of days of driving but they could still get here."

"No, it would've taken a little over a week to get here by car." Det. Michaels adds.

"Not if they took turns driving." Edward adds.

"No. It still would've taken a few days to get here and I get the impression that Royce was in a hurry." Det. Maine said to them.

"The only transportation that can get a person to Seattle within a day or so is the bus." Laurent told them. "It's the only explanation."

"Det. Michaels find out when the last bus from Miami to Seattle arrived." Capt. Matthews asks.

"On it." Det. Michaels said as he got on his cell and dial the bus company in Seattle.

"Ok now to deal with finding my cousin, sisters and your friends." Eleazer said.

"What's he talking about?" Laurent asked.

"Along with Kate, Tanya, Irina, Riley, Emmett and Garrett are missing as well." Bella told him.

"I told you they were looking for Kate." Alice said.

"That would mean that they know where she is." Edward said.

"Well knowing Garrett, he may try to save her if he knows where she is." Laurent said to them.

"How well do you know Garrett?" Joe asked.

"He's one of my best friends. If Garrett knows where Kate is, he's going to try and stop Royce from hurting her." Laurent told them.

"And get himself killed? I don't know if that's a good idea. We need to find them." Eleazer said.

"No you guys don't understand. Garrett is a martial arts expert. He may very well kill Royce if he gets his hands on him." Laurent told them. Everyone watched him. "Garrett loves Kate and will do anything to protect her. Even if it means killing Royce to protect her, he'll do it."

"Do you think he knows where Royce is?" Det. Maine asked.

"He does." Laurent said knowing his friend very well.

"Why didn't he tell us where she was?" Joe asked.

"Because he wants to confront Royce on his own first." Laurent told them. Eleazer sighed but was liking Garrett more and more. So was Joe. "There is another way you find Kate."

"Oh yeah what's that?" Det. Maine asked.

"Track Garrett's phone. He knows where Kate is and is going there." Laurent told them. Det. Maine, Michaels and Capt. Matthews stared at him.

"What's Garrett's number?" Det. Maine asked.

"I got that covered." Mr. Winters' secretary said as she goes the files of all the students and pulls up Garrett's file. She sees the number then uses the number to activate the tracking system in his phone. From her screen she sees where he was and that he's on the move and fast.

"Boy you guys are all about keeping your students safe huh?" Det. Maine asked.

"That's right. We had the system installed to ensure that if one of our students went missing or something happened, we'd be able to aid the police in locating them. The same rule applies in this case." Mr. Winters said.

"And it's legal to." The secretary adds. She was proud of the tracking system they installed. Some may feel that they are invading their privacy but others believe the tracking system is safety tool to ensure that students can be found in case they are in an emergency situation. "He's on the move on Highway 124."

"I'm gonna try calling him." Laurent said dialing Garrett's number. Garrett's phone went right to voicemail. "Shit!" He said. "Got his voicemail."

"Ok. Keep tracking Garrett's phone and when he stops we can pin point his location." Det. Maine said. The secretary nods. Laurent texts him hoping he responds.

In the motel room, Royce has been having his way with Kate slapping her face. He's punched her quite a few times and has cut both her arm and leg. She has blood seeping from her cuts. Her face looks like she's been in a UFC match with her taking the brunt of the punishment. Kate has a cut above her left eye which is purple and pink. Her eye is almost closed shut, her nose is bleeding and her lip is busted. She's in bad shape but alive none the less. Royce had decided to take a break and smoke a cigarette. Kate whimpered in her chair. She didn't know if this was the last day of her life but she certainly didn't want to go out this way.

"You ready for round three bitch?" Royce asked menacingly. He went over to her and leaned over her. He put his cigarette out on her left leg. Kate cried out as she hot fire burned her left thigh. Royce begins to punch her in the face again and again causing more damage to her face. Kate cries out for Garrett. Cameron who stood outside of the room heard Kate scream out. It bothered him so much that he decided to go for a drive. He went to the store a brought cigarettes. Then returned to the motel. He parked the car and could still hear Kate's screams. Though Royce is his friend, he hated the fact that he was hitting her. Why Royce hadn't killed her and been done with it was beyond him. He sat in the car for a few minutes before deciding to get out of the car.

Garrett's car exits the highway as he pulls into the parking lot of the motel. Tanya and Irina were amazed at how right Garrett was. All four look around to trying to determine what room Royce could be holding Kate in.

"What room would they be in?" Irina asked.

"I'm guessing the guy smoking the cigarette standing outside the room is the accomplice." Riley told them. "He could be guarding the door."

"So Kate is in that room." Tanya said to them. Garrett frowns hard. He's mentally preparing himself to kill Royce.

"What do we do now?" Irina asked.

"Garrett, you got Royce. Emmett and I will handle that guy there." Riley said. They hear Kate screaming. Tanya and Irina squeeze each other's hand. Both realize she's still alive but for how long they don't know.

"Oh god he's hurting her." Tanya cries out.

"Let's go." Garrett said as he exits the car along with Emmett.

"Stay put no matter what you hear." Riley said. Tanya and Irina nod.

Riley, Emmett and Garrett made their way towards the door in which Cameron is standing. He doesn't see them just yet but then looks up to see the trio coming towards him. He doesn't recognize them.

"Can I help you?" Cameron asks moving towards them.

"Yeah you can get the fuck out of the way and let us through." Emmett said.

"I can't do that." Cameron said to them.

"Well it looks as if we're gonna have to kick your ass." Emmett said.

"You can try." Cameron said and was met with Riley's fist to his face. The fight was on. Emmett and Riley pound on Cameron hitting him as hard as they can. Cameron does his best to defend himself but is no match for Riley and Emmett. Riley punches him in the face several times before knees him in the groin causing Cameron to groan in pain. Emmett picks up over his shoulders. Garrett watches unable to get in because Cameron continues to block the door. Royce punches Kate in the face again. Her left eye is now swollen shut. Her face is a mess. Royce has done a lot of damage. She now has a slight gash over her right eyebrow. Just as he's about to hit her again, Cameron is thrown through the front door by Emmett. Royce grabs the knife and hides behind Kate with the knife to her throat. Garrett steps into the room with Emmett and Riley. All three are horrified at the sight of Kate who is bruised up badly. Garrett sees her face and is hurt yet angered. Her glares at him. "FUCK!" Cameron curses while groaning in pain.

Still in the car, Tanya and Irina watched the fight that took place outside of the room. They were proud watching how Emmett and Riley for defending Kate. Then Emmett takes it a step further and throws Cameron through the door. Tanya knew this was going to end up with someone dying. They had to alert Det. Maine and the others.

"Irina, call Alice and ask to speak with the detective." Tanya told her. Irina nods and uses her phone to dial Alice's number. Tanya kept watching the scene play out.

"Thank god. Where the hell are you and Tanya?" Alice asked answering her phone. She was standing in Mr. Winter's office.

"Let me speak with Det. Maine." Irina told her.

"Det. Maine, my cousin wants to speak with you." Alice said handing him the phone.

"Det. Maine." Det. Maine answers.

"Detective, it's Irina. Tanya and I are at a motel off Highway 124. Royce is here and he has Kate." Irina told him.

"Other than Tanya, who else is with you?" Det. Maine asked.

"Emmett, Garrett and Riley. Emmett and Riley are fighting with Royce's accomplice and Garrett is going after Royce." Tanya told him through the phone. Irina has the phone on speaker. Tanya can be heard by the others.

"Ok. Stay right there. We're on our way." Det. Maine said. "I'll be damn. You were right Laurent. Garrett is confronting Royce."

"Detective what's going on?" Joe asked.

"They found Royce, his accomplice and Kate. Emmett and Riley are fighting Cameron while Garrett goes after Royce. We need to get out there." Det. Maine said as he, Det. Michaels and Captain Matthews along with several officers all made their out of the main building, jumped in their cars and sped off the campus with their sirens blaring. Capt. Matthews made the call for all the squad car units to head towards the motel off highway 124.

"Mr. Winters what's going on?" Bella asked.

"Is Kate ok?" Alice asked.

"I don't know." Mr. Winters.

"We should go follow the police off that Highway." Eleazar said.

"It's best that you guys stay put until you know what's going on." Mr. Winters said to them.

Back at the motel, Cameron recovers enough to attack Riley and Emmett. He punches and Emmett in the face and goes after Riley. Emmett pushes Cameron and Riley out the door and leaves Garrett alone to face Royce who cowers behind Kate with the knife to her throat.

"Well it looks like it's just the three of us." Royce taunts Garrett smirking. Garrett says nothing but tries to move towards Kate. "Hey, hey, hey don't try it hero. I could kill her you know. I could cut her pretty little throat open. You'll watch her die knowing that you couldn't save her. Would you like that hero?" He taunts.

"You kill her I kill you." Garrett said angrily.

"Win, win. I'm going to die anyway. It would be so nice if I take her ass with me." Royce said sadistically. "I'm the really fucking man here!" He yells.

"Real man huh? If you were a real man, you wouldn't beat up on a defenseless woman. You ain't no real man." Garrett said glaring at him.

"That's right hero keep insulting me I cut her neck up so bad you won't recognize her." Royce said to him.

"If you're such a man why not face me? Are you afraid to face me?" Garrett taunts him back. Royce is angered. "Come on real man, fight me. What's the matter? You don't have the balls to face me! You chicken shit motherfucker!" Garrett yelled. Royce was infuriated now.

"Fine. You wanna fight asshole, you got one." Royce said moving away from Kate. Garrett glances from Kate to Royce. Royce smirks then kicks Kate in the head knocking her over the chair tipping to the floor. Kate is out cold. Garrett glares angrily his teeth showing. He wants desperately to hurt Royce. Garrett makes a move for her but is cut off but Royce. Royce swings at Garrett who backs up and kicks Royce in the stomach then punches him in the face. Garrett grabs him and throws him onto the bed. He gets on top of Royce and punches him in the face several times causing Royce to bleed through his lips and nose. Garrett is in anger begins to choke Royce until Royce gets the better of him cutting Garrett's arm. Hurt, Garrett cries out and grabs a hold of his arm. Royce pushes him off of him. Garrett hits the floor of the room but quickly gets to his feet. He readies himself. Royce does the same. Royce swings the knife at Garrett who grabs his arm and twists his breaking it. Royce cries out in pain. Garrett using a karate move kicks Royce in the chest sending him flying outside of the room.

Cameron meanwhile has gained a slight advantage over Riley and Emmett. He hit Riley several times to his face and shoved him into a car causing damage to Riley's rib. Riley grabs his rib in pain. He then kicks Emmett in the stomach then punches him several times to his face.

Tanya and Irina had gotten out of the car. Both seeing the fight decided to sneak into the room and get Kate. While the guys are going at it, they seize the opportunity to go help their sister. They sneak into the room and find Kate unconscious.

"Shit!" Irina said.

"Kate! Kate!" Tanya called to her sister.

"Come on Kate wake up." Irina said.

"Come on we have to untie her." Tanya said as both tried to break the ropes but couldn't. "Come on." Tanya said angrily as she fought trying untie the ropes around Kate's arms and legs.

Garrett and Royce continue their battle but outside of the room. Garrett uses all types of martial arts moves to inflict pain on Royce. The same kind of pain he had inflicted on his beloved Kate. Royce's face looks as bad as Kate's does. Royce did throw a couple of punches to Garrett's face as well but Garrett dodged them rather easily.

"Come on Kate wake up." Irina calls to her. She removes the gag from Kate's mouth and blood trickles out. "Oh my god." Irina cries out. "Kate please wake up. Please!" She begs as Kate lies still unconscious. Tanya meanwhile worked the ropes. Could they get Kate free of those ropes?


	22. Hospitalized

True Love

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hospitalized

The battle for Kate's life wages on. After having a slight advantage in his fight with both Riley and Emmett, Cameron lost the advantage when Riley hit him over the head with a piece of a wood he found on the ground. Cameron was dazed allowing both Riley and Emmett to gain the advantage back. Both took turns hitting Cameron with every punch kick in their arsenal. Emmett shoves Cameron to the hood of a car and rains down punches to Cameron's abdomen. Cameron groans in pain. Riley continues punching him in the face. All three guys look bruised and battered.

Garrett and Royce continue their battle in the parking lot. Garrett uses several martial arts punches and kicks to hurt Royce. His face looks as bad as Kate's does. Royce got off a few punches of his own and manages to cut Garrett's arm again but Garrett barely felt it as he continues to pound on Royce.

Meanwhile back in the motel room, Tanya who struggled to get Kate free of the ropes went to the nightstand to find scissors and successfully found them. Irina kept trying to wake Kate up. Tanya came back over to Kate carrying the scissors and begins to cut through the tight ropes.

"Kate wake up please." Irina begged her. She leans over Kate's face and plants a soft kiss on her cheek. "Please sis wake up." Irina begged again the tears pouring down her face. Kate's eyes begin to flutter open as she is coming to. Irina is shocked. "She's waking up." Irina says aloud. Tanya sighs as she got the ropes loose.

"I got the ropes loose. Help me get her untied." Tanya asked both sisters untied Kate's legs and arms. Kate's arms go limp as she is weak from Royce's brutal assault on her. "Kate, you ok?" Tanya asked. Kate groans signaling that she's still alive but groggy from Royce kicking her in the head. "Stay with us ok?" Tanya asks as She and Irina lift Kate up from the chair and get her out of the room.

Royce sees this and screams. He tries to go after them but Garrett grabs him by the hair and pulls him back. Royce tries to stab Garrett but he blocks the attack and bends Royce wrist back so that the knife falls out of Royce's hand and onto the ground. Using his foot, Garrett kicks the knife away. He pulls Royce into a rear naked choke. Garrett wants desperately to kill Royce for hurting Kate.

The police cars arrive on the scene to catch the fights. Cameron is laid out on the ground. Emmett and Riley are sitting on him. Three officers rushed over to where Emmett and Riley have Cameron pinned down.

"He's the accomplice Riley said. He and Emmett get up off of Cameron who is immediately placed in handcuffs then placed in the squad car. Both rush over to Tanya, Kate and Irina. Emmett does his best to hold Kate up who is weak from the assault. "Get him Garrett." Riley yells as Garrett realizes the police are there now. Royce is all but caught and his plan to kill Kate is ruined. Garrett still has him in the rear naked choke hold and Royce is losing air.

"Let him go Garrett." Det. Maine said. His gun as well as Det. Michaels and several other officers' weapons are drawn at him. "Let him go son."

"No." Garrett said angrily. "He has to die. Right here, right now." He said as Royce struggles to breathe.

"He's not worth killing. He's going back to jail and will be placed in a maximum security facility." Det. Maine said.

"He'll just get out again and come after Kate. She'll never be safe as long as he's alive." Garrett said angrily.

"Garrett if you kill him then I'll have to arrest you and I don't want to arrest you because I know you're protecting Kate but don't kill him. He's not worth you going to jail. Don't you want to be there for Kate? She'll need you. All you have to do is let him go." Det. Maine said. Garrett frowns angrily before releasing Royce shoving him to the floor. Royce gasps for air. Garrett kicks in him in the back of his head. He moves back as a uniformed officer goes to handcuff Royce. Royce trying to seize the opportunity grabs the officer's gun from the holster, pushes the officer back, pulls the glock back…"ROYCE NO!" Det. Maine screams as Royce fires two shots to Garrett's chest. Garrett goes down immediately. Kate sees this and musters up the strength to cry out. Emmett holds her as she cries in his arms. Det. Maine and Det. Michaels open fire on Royce shooting him to his death. Royce's body goes limp as his life is snuffed out. "We need buses here pronto." Det. Maine shouts as he goes over to Garrett. Garrett is out cold. "Come on kid stay with me." Det. Maine said covering Garrett's wound.

Two ambulances arrived on the scene their sirens blaring down the highway. Both ambulances pulled into the parking lot of the motel. The coroners arrived right behind the ambulances. Garrett was loaded onto the gurney and placed in the back of the first ambulance and rushed towards Seattle General. Kate was placed on the gurney and put into the back of the second ambulance. Tanya got into the back with her holding her hand as she cried thinking Garrett was dead. The coroners loaded Royce's dead body into the black back then placed in the back of their vehicle. He was then taken away. Det. Maine shook his head sighing deeply relieved that the case was closed. Kate is safe. Hurt but safe.

"Detective, what happens now?" Riley asks.

"We'll finish up the crime scene here. I'll get Kate's statement at the hospital. Then make my report and head back to Miami. In the meantime, you two should get checked out by doctors." Det. Maine told them.

"Are we going to be arrested?" Emmett asked.

"Did you kill anyone?" Det. Maine asked jokingly. He knew he wasn't going to arrest them. Emmett and Riley glance at each other.

"We didn't kill him but we did beat the snot out of Royce's accomplice." Riley said.

"Detective, my cousin and boyfriend were just helping. The guy they fought with was guarding the door preventing them from getting my sister out of there safely. They were defending themselves." Tanya said.

"In that case, you won't be arrested. I'm just glad this is over with and Kate is safe." Det. Maine said as Irina, Emmett and Riley get into Garrett's car starts the ignition and drives off heading towards the hospital.

Detective Maine and the rest of the police there cleaned up the scene taking pictures, documenting everything that happened today. He'd get Kate's statement so he could put the finishing touches on his report. Detective Michaels talked with witnesses and the motel manager. The motel manager was informed that he'll be compensated for the damage to the door. He nods. Within the next couple of hours, the police cleared out. Detective Maine takes out his phone and calls Mr. Winters' office. Sasha, Joe, Eleazer, Carmen, Alice, Edward, Rosalie, Jasper, Bella and Laurent are still awaiting word on Kate. Mr. Winters who was doing some paperwork to keep himself busy to keep from thinking terrible things happening to his students. He was one of the few people who actually cared about what happens to his students that's why he's so loved by the students on campus. He genuinely loved his work. There is silence in the room that it is until the phone rings. Everyone stares at it. Mr. Winters picks it up.

"Hello." Mr. Winters said.

"Mr. Winters, this is Detective Maine. I need you to pass on this message to the Denali's." Det. Maine said.

"Ok." Mr. Winters said.

"Tell them Kate is fine and that she was roughed up but is going to live." Det. Maine said. Mr. Winters sighs over the phone. "Tell them that she's on her way to Seattle General and her sisters are with her."

"Ok. What about Garrett, Emmett, and Riley?" Mr. Winters asked.

"Well when we got there, Garrett had Royce in a choke hold and almost killed him but he let Royce go and paid the price for it. Royce shot him. The ambulance took Garrett to the hospital. As far as Emmett and Riley are concerned, both fought with Royce's accomplice and are bruised up but are fine. They are on their way to the hospital as well. All in all everyone is fine and will live. I'm on my way to the hospital to get Kate's statement. Let them know I'll be there and I can explain everything to them in person." Det. Maine explained.

"Will do thank you detective." Mr. Winters said as both hung the phone. Mr. Winters sighs heavily relieved to hear the good news.

"Was that Detective Maine?" Alice asked.

"Yes." Mr. Winters answered.

"What did he say?" Sasha asked curious to know if her daughters were dead or alive. Alice and Edward wanted to know because Emmett went out there with Riley and Garrett in tow.

"He said that everyone is fine and alive. He said that when they got there, Garrett had Royce in a chokehold and almost killed him but let him go. Royce in turn shot Garrett. Detective Maine shot Royce to his death so he won't be going after Kate or anyone anymore. He also said that Emmett and Riley fought with the accomplice. Both are fine and heading to the hospital as well." Mr. Winters said.

"NO!" Laurent said hurt that his friend got shot trying to protect the women he loves.

"What about Kate? Was she hurt? Were my daughters hurt?" Sasha asked.

"Detective Maine said Kate was roughed up but is alive and is on her way to Seattle General." Mr. Winters said.

"Thank god Kate is ok." Carmen said sighing.

"We should get to Seattle General." Eleazer said. "Eddie, you, Allie and Jasper can ride with us.

"Uh do you mind if we ride with you Mrs. Denali?" Bella asked for her and Rosalie.

"Of course darling." Sasha said as they all left Mr. Winter's office heading for their cars then driving off heading towards Seattle General. Laurent also left getting into his car and heading to Seattle General.

Mr. Winters got onto the phone called the Parker family. He informed them about the situation at hand and told them they need to get to Seattle and fast. They can find Garrett at Seattle General Hospital. The family says they are on their way.

Garrett was brought into the emergency room where the doctors immediately went to work on taking care of his wounds. They cut his shirt open noticing all the blood pouring out of his two bullet wounds. They got him prepped for immediate surgery and took him into the surgery room. The two bullets were five inches from Garrett's heart and needed to be removed immediately.

Kate was brought into the emergency room as well. She was examined by the doctor who did X-rays on her to ensure she had no broken bones. Kate on the ride to the hospital kept fading in and out of subconscious. She had been kicked in the head by Royce and was suffering the effects from the blow. X-Rays showed no damage but the nurse recommended a cat scan. The ambulance worker informed the nurse that Kate kept fading in and out of consciousness and may have been hit in the head. If only they knew. Meanwhile, Kate's leg was bandaged up, the burn on her leg was treated with antibiotics and covered with a bandaged. Her arm was treated bandaged up as well as her face. The gash above her right eye brow was treated and bandaged. Her left eye is closed but an eye patch was placed over her eye to ensure the swollen goes down. Her lip and nose were treated and the doctor was able to stop the blood from trickling out.

Tanya who had come to the hospital with her had waited in the waiting area down the hall from the room Kate was placed in. She kept pacing back and forth trying to calm her nerves. She was relieved that her sister had survived her ordeal with Royce. Thanks in part to Garret figuring out where Royce had kept her. If they hadn't gotten there when they did, Kate might not have survived and she'd be grieving her sister instead. She was sad that Garrett had gotten shot. She hoped and prayed that he'd make it. It was all too clear how he felt about her. He loved her and proved that he'd die for her as well. The Nurse who tended to some of Kate's wounds came into the waiting area to see Tanya pacing.

"Excuse me." Nurse Hazel Warren said to Tanya who looked over at her. "Did you come into the hospital with Katrina Denali?"

"Yes she's my sister." Tanya said. "Is she ok?"

"Yes. Her bruises were bandaged up but she'll make it. Do you know if she was hit in the head?" Nurse Warren asked.

"I think that SOB ex of hers kicked her in the head. Why?" Tanya asked.

"Well because the worker in the ambulance who brought her in said that she kept fading in and out of consciousness." Nurse Warren told her. Tanya nods agreeing.

"Yes she was. Is that a bad thing?" Tanya asked.

"Well it can be. When someone is hit or kicked in the head it can cause some damage to the brain." Nurse Warren explained. Tanya looked away the tears pour down her face. "It's quite possible Kate may have suffered some brain damage but I've had the doctor order a cat scan to be sure. It looks like she took quite a beating."

"He beat her within an inch of her life. I'm glad he's dead for it." Tanya said as the tears came down her face.

"I'm so sorry this happened. I wanna let you know that Kate is in great hands." Nurse Warren said warmly. Tanya smiles through her tears.

"What about Garrett Parker? He was brought in to. He's my sister's boyfriend." Tanya explained worried for Garrett as well.

"I'm not sure but I will find out and let you know ok?" Nurse Warren told her.

"K thanks." Tanya said as she sat down in the seat. She put her face in her hands and sobs lightly.

Emmett, Riley and Irina arrived at the hospital. All three jumped out of the car and headed inside. Emmett and Riley's faces are pretty bruised.

"Excuse me, we're looking for Kate Denali?" Emmett asked. The receptionist looked up and noticed Emmett had bruises on his face.

"Sir, you look like you need to be treated." The receptionist said concerned. "Can I get a nurse out here please?" The receptionist said concerned for Emmett.

"Ma'am I'm fine, I just wanna know if my cousin is ok." Emmett told him.

"Sir, come with me please?" A nurse asked. She glances at Riley. "Why don't you both come with me? I'll get you cleaned up in no time."

"Irina." Riley called to her.

"Go, I'll find out about Kate." Irina told them as both followed the nurse into a small room. "I need to know about my sister Kate." Irina told the receptionist.

"Don't see a Kate but I see Katrina Denali." Receptionist said.

"That's her." Irina said.

"She's in room 215 but she isn't to have visitors for about an hour. There's someone else here that came in with Kate." The receptionist told her. Irina realized who the receptionist is talking about.

"My sister Tanya. Where is she?" Irina asked.

"She's in the smaller waiting room down this hall to the left." The receptionist told her.

"Ok thanks." Irina said as she made a b-line for the smaller room. Tanya who needed some air came out into the hallway. Irina sees her and goes over to her. "Hey there you are." She said as Tanya looked up. Both embraced in a hug. "Where's Kate?"

"She's ok but uh…" Tanya said but finding it hard to speak.

"But what?" Irina asked.

"Remember when we found her on conscious?" Tanya asked? Irina nods. "While on the way to the hospital, Kate kept fading in and out of consciousness. I told the nurse that I think Royce might've kicked her in the head knocking her out cold. The nurse said that she asked the doctor to do a cat scan because it's possible Kate suffered brain damage." Tanya told her. Irina felt the tears form in her eyes as they slipped down her cheek.

"Oh my god. Brain damage?" She asked.

"They're not sure and need to check but it's possible." Tanya told her.

"And Garrett?" Irina asked. "Any word on his condition?"

"Not yet." Tanya told her. The two sisters embraced each other in a hug.

"Can we get in on that?" Emmett asked smirking. He and Riley sport similar bandages.

"Come here." Tanya said as the four hugged each other. "You two ok?" She asked checking in on her cousin and boyfriend.

"I'll be fine. I'm worried about Kate." Emmett said.

"Yeah how is she?" Riley asked.

"The nurse told me she might've suffered brain damage because on the way here she kept fading in and out of consciousness." Tanya told them. Both frowned hard.

"That son of a bitch hurt her." Riley said. "She looked so bad."

"I've never seen her face that bad." Emmett said. "I'm glad he's dead."

"We all are." Irina said.

Moments later, Sasha, Joe, Eleazer, Carmen, Alice, Edward, Jasper, Rosalie and Bella came rushing into the emergency room of the hospital. All have arrived at the hospital to check on Kate's condition. They knew she was alive but in what shape she was in was not told to them.

"Excuse me. I need to see my daughter Katrina Denali." Sasha said in one breathe. She was in mood to play around. All she wanted was to see that her daughters was safe.

"Mom." Tanya said upon recognizing her mother's voice.

"Baby." She said as the group rushed over to them. Tanya and Irina rushed into their parent's waiting arms hugging them tightly. Eleazer hugged his sisters so tight thanking god that they are alive. Tanya and Irina hugged Carmen as well. She was relieved to know they'd survived.

"Emmett." Alice said hugging her brother tight. Edward pulled him into hug as well. They were glad he was ok. "You alright?"

"Yeah I'm ok." Emmett told her.

"Don't ever scare us like that again." Edward said.

"I won't bro." He said as they hugged. "Rose." He said pulling Rosalie into a hug.

"Thank god you're ok." Rosalie letting tears fall down her face.

"Yeah we're glad you two are ok." Bella said hugging Riley. He smiled. Tanya hugged her boyfriend.

"Yeah you two could've been killed." Jasper said.

"We're fine." Emmett said.

"I'm glad you're ok nephew." Joe said hugging Emmett.

"Thanks Uncle Joe." Emmett said then kissing Sasha on the cheek.

"Any word on how Kate is doing?" Sasha asked. The room fell silent. Tanya knows what's going on.

"I didn't speak with the doctor yet but the nurse told me that Kate may have suffered brain damage. I think Royce might have kicked her in the head. When Irina and I found her, she was on conscious on the floor tied up in a chair." Tanya said as all the women put their hands to their mouths. Joe and Eleazer wore the same expression. Anger. Edward felt for his cousin. Rosalie and Bella were sickened to what they heard. Jasper held Alice comforting her. "He did a number on her. Her face had cuts and bruises." Tanya said as the tears poured down her face. "He eye is closed shut. Her lip and nose bled. She's in bad shape."

"Oh dear god." Sasha said.

"She kept slipping in and out of consciousness that's why the doctor needs to do a cat scan but they're not sure." Tanya told them. All sighed deeply feeling the sting of the news.

"What about Garrett? Any word on him yet?" Rosalie asked. Tanya shook her head no. Rosalie looked away. She knew how Kate and Garrett felt about each other. They loved each other. Garrett was willing to die for her.

"What happened to Royce?" Jasper asked.

"He's dead. Det. Maine shot him to his death." Riley told them.

"And his accomplice?" Joe asked.

"We took care of him." Emmett said as Riley nodded.

"Just what did happen when you guys got there?" Eleazer asked.

"Well Garrett figured out what motel it was that Royce took Kate to. We went there and found his accomplice standing outside of the door. All three of us walked towards the door. The plan was for Emmett and me to take out Royce's accomplice while Garrett took on Royce himself. We did exactly that. Emmett and I focused on beating the hell out of Royce's accomplice. Emmett here lifted him off the ground and tossed him through the door knock it down."

"That's my bro." Edward cheered earning smiles from everyone in the room.

"We stood there in the doorway. When we saw Kate we were about to get her but Royce hid behind her holding a knife. His accomplice came to. Ry and I decided to continue where we left off. Garrett and Royce went at it although I don't think Royce was a match for Garrett." Emmett said.

"We got the advantage on his accomplice and hurt him badly to the point where he didn't get back up. Emmett and I sat on him so he wouldn't move and got a good look at Garrett kicking Royce's ass. Soon enough the cops show up." Riley said to them. Joe and Eleazer were starting to like Garrett more and more.

"Irina and I snuck into the room and untied Kate getting her out of there." Tanya said.

"Yeah but we had to wake her first." Irina said. "Then we got her out of there. The cops showed up moments later."

"Garrett had Royce in a rear naked choke hold trying to kill him for hurting Kate. Detective Maine convinced him to let Royce go. Big mistake because Royce got hold an officer's gun and fired two shots to Garrett's chest." Emmett said. "That's when Detective Maine shot him to his death."

"Wow." Joe said. "Well thank god that asshole ain't alive to come after my daughter again."

"We all agree on that." Sasha said.

"I'm starting to like Garrett more and more." Eleazer said.

"He put his life on the line for Kate." Carmen said.

"Because he loves her." Riley said. "I hope he survives. Kate needs him."

"Hi is this the Denali family?" A male voice can be heard. Everyone turns around to see a doctor standing there.

"Yes. We're the Denali family and friends." Sasha said. "I'm Sasha and this my husband Joe, my son Eleazer and my daughters Tanya and Irina. My daughter in law Carmen. Their cousins Emmett, Edward and Alice are with us. They're friends are present as well."

"It's nice to meet everyone. My name is Doctor Don Hashberg and I treated Katrina when she was brought in." Dr. Hashberg said.

"Please call her Kate. She'd get mad if you called her Katrina." Sasha told him.

"Ok." Dr. Hashberg said showing respect.

"So how is she doing?" Joe asked.

"Kate is going to be fine. She had some lacerations to her face. I've had the nurse place an eye patch over left eye so that some of the swollen goes down. Kate also had cuts to her leg and her arm and there's a bit of a burn mark on her thigh as if the person put out a cigarette on her thigh. Now although those bruises and cuts will heal, I'm more concerned about Kate's brain. The nurse asked if I could order a cat scan and lucky for us we have a time slot available for Kate later today. The reason I'm concerned is because Kate seems to keep slipping in and out of consciousness and that only happens when a person has been stuck or kicked in the head. The brain can take damage when this happens." Dr. Hashberg explains.

"Kate was kicked in the head by Royce." Riley told them confirming what Tanya said.

"Ok so we know what happened to cause her continuous slipping in and out of consciousness." Dr. Hashberg said.

"Doc, what happens in the brain that's causing Kate to fade in and out like that?" Tanya asked. She had seen it herself and under the instruction of the ambulance worker tried to keep Kate awake.

"When she was kicked, her brain shook violently in her skull. This causes tension in her brain. Kate may experience dizziness and she may have trouble remembering anything. I won't know more until I do the cat scan." Dr. Hashberg said to them.

"So doc you're saying with the exception of some brain damage, she's fine?" Eleazer asked. Carmen touched his shoulder supporting him.

"Yes but the extent of her brain injury has to be determined and once I know this I can begin the necessary steps to treat her." Dr. Hashberg said.

"Thanks doc, we appreciate it." Sasha said.

"No problem. Kate is going to be taken care of." Dr. Hashberg assured them.

"Doc, is there any word on Garrett's condition?" Riley asked.

"Well Garrett is in critical condition. Without his family here I can't say anymore on his condition." Dr. Hashberg said.

"Can we see her?" Joe asked.

"Yes. She's a little out of it but you can see her." Dr. Hashberg said. "Follow me."

"You guys go ahead. We'll wait here." Tanya said. Sasha nods as she, Joe, Eleazer and Carmen follow the doctor out of the waiting area to see Kate.

Doctor Hashberg stops upon room 215. He opens the door and enters the room. He's followed by Sasha, Joe, Eleazer and Carmen. There lying in her bed hooked to several machines including a heart monitor is Kate. She looked so peaceful. Sasha goes over to her bed. She's horrified at the way her daughter looks. Everything that Tanya said about the way Kate looked was spot on in every detail.

"Kate darling." Sasha called to her daughter in a low whisper. Kate doesn't respond. "Kate." Sasha called to her again. This seems to work because Kate's eyes flutter open. "Hey baby." She whisper to her. Kate using her one good eye, she squinted to see her parents, brother and sister in law standing next to her bed. She immediately starts crying and puts up her hand to cover her face. "Oh baby don't cry." Sasha said sitting down on the bed next to her. She leans over to Kate who continues to hide her face.

"Sweetheart its ok." Joe said to her.

"No. I don't want you guys to see me like this." Kate said sobbing.

"Baby, it's ok. We're here for you. We love you. We were so worried that this guy would kill you. All that matters to me, to us is that you are alive." Sasha said moving Kate's arm away from her face.

"We love you sis and are going be here for you as long as you need us." Eleazer said.

"How are you feeling hone?" Carmen asked.

"Out of it. My head hurts and my body hurts. My face hurts. My heart hurts." Kate said as Sasha gently massages her cheek in that motherly soothing way. It was certainly helping Kate stay calm.

"You're feeling pain in your heart?" Joe asked.

"Yeah. Garrett is dead because of me." Kate said letting tears fall down out of her good eye.

"The doctor couldn't tell us much about his condition. Just that he's in critical condition. That doesn't mean he'll die." Joe said.

"And he's not dead which means there's a chance he'll live. Then we can get to know him." Sasha said smiling at Kate. Kate attempted to smile but couldn't because of her face.

"This is my fault." Kate said.

"What do you mean?" Eleazer asked.

"If I hadn't met Royce or dated him, he wouldn't have done this." Kate told them.

"Kate, none of this is your fault. You didn't deserve any of it so don't blame yourself." Carmen said. Kate sobs lightly.

"It's ok baby. It's going to be ok." Sasha said leaning over her daughter and giving her a comforting kiss on the cheek. Joe leans over and kisses Kate on her forehead followed by Eleazer and then Carmen. They let her sob as long as she needed to. They were relieved to know that she was alive and glad that Royce would never come after their daughter again.

Alice pulls Tanya and Irina into a hug. She was relieved to know they are ok. She was certainly glad Emmett was ok because despite him being the oldest of the three, she still worried for him. She was also glad that Kate was going to live. It met that she would be safe from Royce who is now dead.

"I'm so glad you two are ok. I'm relieved that Kate will live." Alice said to them.

"We're relieved to." Irina said. Tanya didn't speak. She didn't know how to react. She's glad her sister will live but is angry with her.

"Kate looks bad. Royce really did a number on her the fucking bastard." Irina said.

"The way her face looked still haunts me. I can't get that image out of my head." Emmett said.

"I'm so glad that son of a bitch is dead. He shot Garrett to. So glad he's never coming back." Riley said.

"I agree." Irina said.

"Babe, you ok?" Riley asked Tanya. She nods but he can tell something was wrong. He noticed that Carmen, Eleazer and Joe came back into the waiting area after visiting with Kate. "How she doing?"

"She's going through it, but I know my sister. She'll get pass this and move on with her life. The way she's feeling won't last too long." Eleazer said.

"She blames herself for Garrett's condition." Joe said. "I tell you I hope to god that Garrett lives so I can shake his hand for saving my daughter. I don't know what would've happen to Kate if you guys don't intervene."

"Is it ok if we go see her Uncle Joe?" Alice asks.

"Sure." Joe said as she, Tanya, Irina, Bella and Rosalie head to Kate's room.

"I'm gonna go check on Garrett." Riley said as he stands up to leave the waiting area.

Alice, Tanya, Irina, Bella and Rosalie crept into Kate's room. Sasha is still seated next to Kate on her bed stroking her cheek gently. Kate kept fading in and out of consciousness. Sasha just watched her wanting to make sure her baby girl is ok. She wished desperately that she had protected Kate more but realized Kate is old enough to take care of herself. Kate had always been the independent one of her children. It was almost as if Kate didn't need her. It was refreshing to know that her daughter still needs her mother.

"Hey auntie, is she up for visitors?" Alice asked whispering.

"She's a bit out of it but you can come in and see her." Sasha said as Kate's eye opened. Alice sits on the other side of Kate.

"Hey cuz." Alice said softly. Kate smiled as much as she could.

"How are you feeling sis?" Irina asked.

"Like I look." Kate managed to say.

"Oh so you're fine then." Bella joked. They chuckled. Kate smirked as much as her face would allow her.

"We're glad that you're going to be ok." Rosalie said.

"Yeah we were so worried." Alice said.

"Thanks. I'm worried for Garrett." Kate said. "It's my fault he's in here."

"Kate, Garrett loves you and has since the first day he laid eyes on you. He would do anything to keep you safe and proved that he's willing to protect you with his life." Alice told her.

"That's just it. If it weren't for him, Riley, Emmett and my sisters, I don't know that I survive and the last thing I wanted was for anyone to get hurt. I didn't want Riley and Emmett fighting Cameron and I really didn't want Garrett hurt trying to save me. He could die because of me." Kate said beginning to sob.

"Garrett is stronger than you think. He's not going out this way." Rosalie said.

"Yeah besides how could he have a normal life without you in it?" How could the two of you be together without the other in your life?" Bella asked. Kate didn't know how to answer that.

"I don't want to lose him." Kate said sobbing. "I owe him my life."

"You won't lose him." Alice said leaning over and gently kissing her forehead. "Garrett's a survivor."

"He's gonna live. You know why?" Irina asked. Kate looked up at her. "He won't miss out on being with you the woman he loves." Kate smiled at that. "So think positive. He saved you so let's think positive thoughts to save him." The others nodded as Kate smiles. Sasha smiled as well. She was proud of her daughters for helping to save their sister and also proud of Irina for what she said. The girls remained with Kate trying to keep her spirits up. Sasha decided to give them some space and went back into the waiting area.

Riley is heading up to the fourth floor. He's on the elevator thinking about the situation at hand. His face and body still ached from his and Emmett's fight with Royce's accomplice. Riley smirked pleased with himself. Both he and Emmett kicked Cameron's ass. They knew that they'd have to deal with Cameron to save Kate. Garrett took care of that though. He was sad that Royce had shot Garrett. He must've known this would hurt Kate. What Royce had against Kate he didn't know. All he knew was that Kate was alive and he wasn't. He was confident that Garrett would live. He's a strong guy who could overcome anything. The elevator stopped suddenly taking him from his thoughts. The doors opened and Riley exits the elevator. He stopped to looking in both directions. He had gotten the number to Garrett's room from the receptionist before coming up on the elevator. The room was 416. He turned to his left and made his way down the hall. He stops upon seeing a figure standing at the window. It was Laurent. He figured Laurent didn't want to bother the Denali family and their friends. He wanted to spend time with Garrett. He wasn't in the mood to get into an argument with Laurent. All he wanted was to check on Garrett. Laurent sees him and turns to face him.

"How's he doing?" Riley asked.

"Alive but barely." Laurent told him. "I asked the doctor about his condition but he couldn't tell me anything. "The only thing he said was that Garrett was in critical condition."

"He told us that as well." Riley said walking up the window to see Garrett lying in his hospital bed hooked to the machines. He looked so peaceful lying there. "He looks so peaceful."

"Yeah." Laurent said as both stood there watching him. "How you doing?" Riley looked over at him.

"I'm fine." Riley said. "She's fine to. So is Emmett."

"I'm glad you guys are ok. And Kate?" Laurent asked.

"She's hurt but alive. She'll be fine." Riley told him.

"Good." Laurent said. "I hate the fact that we don't communicate anymore."

"I agree." Riley said to him.

"I know I messed up with Irina. The truth is I didn't realize how much I hurt her until it was too late. I never really thought she cared about me that much. I just thought that she…"

"You thought she didn't want a relationship?" Riley asked as Laurent nods. "Why didn't you ask her that?" Laurent shrugs. Riley figured that wasn't something most guys talked about. The woman was usually the one who wanted relationships.

"I don't know how to answer that. What I do know is that I miss my best friends. I miss Irina." Laurent said looking away. Riley nods understanding him. "Can we be friends again?

"We never stopped being friends. We were just mad at you for hurting Irina." Riley said.

"I'm gonna try to make it up to her. Even if she doesn't want to be with me." Laurent said.

"Give her time, she'll come around." Riley said smiling. The two shook hands.

"Did you and Emmett really kick the accomplice's ass?" Laurent asked smiling. Riley looked over at him and laughed still pleased with himself.

"We were ok but Garrett was awesome." Riley said.

"That's my boy." Laurent said proudly as he and Riley shared a smile proud of Garrett for trying to protect his girl. They only wished he'd wake up so they could tell him.

Doctor Hashberg had a couple of male nurses prepare Kate to take her to have her cat scan done. Kate was wheeled into a small room where she was helped onto a machine. She then laid down. Doctor Hashberg told her not to move. The machine began to scan Kate's brain for any abnormal activities. Kate never moved. She just closed her eyes and imagined she and Garrett were together. This was all a nightmare to her. She was never attacked and Garrett is still alive and well. But this wasn't a nightmare. No this was all too real. She was abused by Royce, he did go to jail, escape and come after her. He did kidnap and torture her and he did shoot the love of her life. The best part of this nightmare she was in was Garrett. He was her knight and shining armor. Her hero. She loved him more than life its self. She felt she owed him her life and would do anything to make it up to him. If only he'd wake up. Doctor Hashberg looked her brain scans over thoroughly to make sure he didn't spot anything. He'd send the scans to his co-worker downstairs in the lab for the results. Once done, Kate was helped off the machine and taken back to her room. She climbed back into her bed where she dozed off again. The poor girl went through hell and just needed rest. Her family was allowed to stay in the room with her. Sasha, Joe, Carmen and Eleazer decided to stay in the room with her. They kept their voices down so they wouldn't disturb her while she slept. Carmen asked how Tanya was doing. They shrugged. Tanya had decided to stay in the waiting area. Alice, Bella, and Edward kept her company. Rosalie spent her time comforting Emmett.

Wanting to check up on Garrett, Irina made her way up to the fourth floor. She couldn't get this whole situation out of her head. She had no idea her sister had been abused. She had no idea that Kate's crazy ex wanted her dead. Irina felt flustered. This whole situation had been a whirlwind of emotions. One minute she was clueless about her sister's situation then finding out she's been kidnapped had Irina worried. Then finding her sister all messed up had her feeling sad to Garrett being shot made her feel for her sister. This was too much. She was glad her sister survived but prayed that Garrett would live. He is the best thing to happen to Kate because he truly loves her. Irina understood this now. She got off the elevator and made her way towards Garrett's room. She stops upon seeing Laurent and Riley there talking. Both turn to her.

"You two need to talk." Riley said. "I'll be back to check up on him."

"Ok." Laurent said to him.

"Talk to him." Riley whispers in Irina's ear as he heads for the elevator.

"Hey." Laurent said to her.

"Hey." She responds back.

"How you holding up?" He asked.

"I'm ok I guess. I'm glad my sister is going live. But uh…" Irina said trailing off. She looks away. Laurent caught this.

"But what?" Laurent asked.

"The doctor thinks Kate may have suffered brain damage." Irina said as the tears fall down her face.

"Brain damage? Was she hit on the head or something?" Laurent asked.

"When Tanya and I found her, she was on conscious on the floor. Royce may have kicked her in the head before we entered the room." Irina said sobbing.

"Shit I'm sorry." Laurent said going over to hug her.

"Tanya said she was slipping in and out of consciousness. She seems so tired and her face is bruised badly. I've never seen her that way. It hurts." She continues to sob. Laurent held her letting her cry in his arms.

"She's alive and in the best care. The doctors here will make sure she's ok. It's going to be ok. She's not in danger anymore." Laurent said comforting her.

"Thanks to Garrett, that's why I came down here. I wanna make sure he lives. Kate blames herself for him being here." Irina said to him.

"It's not her fault." Laurent said.

"I know that. We all know this but she just feels like if she doesn't meet Royce then none of this happens." Irina said to him.

"She couldn't have known he was going to hurt her. Sometimes people who are in abusive situations don't recognize it until it's too late. Then they have fight to be safe and stay alive. Kate is a great girl and will be fine. Garrett is going to live and the two of them will be happy together." Laurent told her smiling. Irina smirked.

"You really believe Garrett will make it?" Irina asked.

"If I know Garrett, he's not going to miss out on being with Kate." Laurent told her. Irina smiled. He was glad to see her smiling again but wanted to touch the subject of their relationship or lack there of. "Irina, I know this isn't the best time to talk about this but I really am sorry for hurting you. I never met to hurt you. To be honest, I didn't think you wanted a serious relationship with me. That's still no excuse to do what I did but I'm really sorry." He said as Irina stared at him. She could tell he was being genuine and sincere.

"It's ok. I wish you had just asked me what I wanted. I would've told you. Laurent, you're a great guy. Smart, funny, hot. Everyone said you were a player and I thought that I would be the one to change that. I guess I was wrong." Irina said to him.

"No you're not. The only reason I played the field was to keep from getting hurt only I ended up hurting the one girl who I truly care about." Laurent said to Irina as she stared at him shocked. He took her hand in his. For the first time since they met, Irina allowed him to take her hand. "Irina, you're the only girl who's gotten to my hurt. Spending time with you is always fun. You are so beautiful and you have a heart of gold. You make me laugh in your bubbly personality. I love everything about you." He said as she stared at him shocked. Did he just say he loved her? "You're the only girl to have given me butterflies in my stomach. I know you're mad at me and I don't blame you. All I want is for you to forgive me." Laurent told her. Irina stared at him shocked. She wondered where all this came from. Was Laurent being sincere or did he just want to get back into her pants? She didn't know. Her instincts were telling her different. Her instincts were telling her that he was being sincere.

"I forgive you." Irina said.

"Come here." He said pulling her into a hug glad that she forgave him. He pulled away from her for a moment. Both looked into each other's eyes. He leans into her and they begin kissing. Irina pulls him into her as they continued to kiss. Was this the beginning of a revitalized relationship?


	23. Re-Cooperating

True Love

Chapter Twenty-Three

Re-Cooperating

The following morning, Detective Maine makes his way to the second floor of Seattle General. He would be leaving after he got Kate's statement. He was glad she had survived but felt bad that he had to end one life to save another. He knew this came with the job but it didn't make him feel any better. He didn't want to shoot Royce but the guy had committed several crimes. He'd have to notify his family about his death. Not that they'd care. No one came to Royce's trial back in Miami. He gets off the elevator and heads for room 215. He stops upon seeing the slumbering bodies in the waiting area. He spots Emmett with Rosalie lying on his chest both were asleep. His brother Edward is asleep with Bella lying on him asleep. Next to her was Alice cradled in Jasper's arms as both slept. Irina is cradled in Laurent's arms asleep. Tanya was sleeping in Riley's arms. Detective Maine smiled realizing that Kate has a tremendous support system. He turned and headed towards her room. He opened the door and crept into the room. Kate was asleep on her hospital bed. There is a long sofa couch beside the bed. There Det. Maine spots Joe asleep with Sasha lying on his lap. Eleazer is beside Sasha and Carmen is asleep on his chest.

"Mr. and Mrs. Denali." Det. Maine called to them whispering. He didn't know Kate had woken up.

"They're sleeping." Kate said as Detective Maine turned to her. He stared at Kate finally getting a good look at the young woman. He could see how badly Royce had beaten her. "Detective, is there anything else that I should be worried about?" Kate asked whispering.

"No. I just wanted to ask a couple of more questions to finish up the report." Det. Maine told her.

"You're heading back to Miami?" Kate asked.

"Yes." Det. Maine said. "Do you recall what happened?" He asked. He knew Kate was a bit out of it and had taken quite a beating.

"I remember being in my room on dorm and then I was attacked from behind and then I woke up tied to a chair in some crummy motel. Royce was standing over me. Then he began attacking me. I couldn't defend myself. I took blow after blow to my face and head. Then he burned me with his cigarette and cut both my arm and my leg." Kate explained as Det. Maine wrote it down. "Not sure how long it went on but then Cameron came flying through the door breaking it down. Royce hid behind me with the knife. I was so relieved when I saw Garrett, Riley and Emmett. Riley and Emmett fought with Cameron while Garrett went after Royce."

"Did Royce say anything to Garrett during their encounter?" Det. Maine asked.

"Yes. I can't remember everything that was said but when Royce had the knife to my neck, Garrett told him he wasn't a man and to fight him." Kate said.

"Sounds like Garrett got the focus off you and onto him so Royce would go after him." Det. Maine said.

"Whatever he said worked because the next thing I remember was Royce kicking me in the head and I fell on the floor hitting my head on the side of the bed as I hit the floor. Then my sisters were waking me up and untying me. Then we got out of the room. That's when you guys showed up. Garrett was choking Royce." Kate finished.

"Ok. That's all I need to finish my report. I'm glad you're going to be ok." Det. Maine said to her.

"Thanks detective. Thank you for getting justice for Marlene." Kate said. She remembered Royce killing her best friend.

"No thanks needed." Det. Maine told her.

"What's going to happen to Cameron?" She asked.

"He's being brought back to Miami to be tried for his role for aiding abedding." Det. Maine told her. "You're safe now. You don't have to worry about Royce or anyone coming after you anymore." He said smiling.

"What did he say?" She asked.

"He told me everything. How Royce poisoned his cellmate to distract the guards as he escaped, how he picked up him outside of the prison gates and drove off. How he and Royce boarded a bus to Seattle to come after you. He sang like a bird and asked for a deal." Det. Maine said shaking his head. Kate shakes. "Don't worry you're safe now."

"Thanks again detective." Kate said.

"No problem. I'm gonna let you sleep. Tell your folks I said hi." Det. Maine said. Kate nods. Det. Maine heads out of her room. Kate closed her eyes again to get some more sleep.

Doctor Hashberg is sitting in his office drinking his morning cup of coffee. He needed to have his coffee in order to function. He got Kate's cat scan results from his colleague. He was relieved to know that there was no significant damage to her head and that what Kate is suffering from is a mild concussion. This can easily be treated. He got up from his desk and made his way towards Kate's room. He realized it was still early but would need to talk to Kate and let her know about her condition. When he got to her room, He could see that she had guests. Tanya and the others had come into the room to see her.

"I'm glad that you're ok Kate." Laurent said to her.

"Thanks Laurent." Kate said she tried to smile.

"My cousin's a fighter aren't you Kate?" Edward asked.

"Yeah some fighter." Kate joked. Edward chuckled.

"Us Cullens and Denali's have strong genes." Edward said.

"You got that right." Alice said as they chuckled.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Dr. Hashberg asked as he comes into the room.

"No doctor. We're just visiting with Kate." Alice said.

"How are you doing this morning Kate?" Dr. Hashberg asked.

"I'm still feeling out of it and still in some pain but I'm alive and happy about that." Kate said.

"Ok. The pain will subside and your injuries will go away. However I'm here to talk to you about the cat scan performed yesterday on you." Dr. Hashberg told her.

"Oh yeah. What's the prognosis?" Kate asked.

"Well, I'm happy to report that you have no significant damage to your brain. Your brain is perfectly fine. What you have suffered from is a concussion. Easily treated." Dr. Hashberg said smiling. Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief including Kate who was worried. Sasha had informed her about the consciousness she kept fading in and out of.

"Thank god." Eleazer said sighing.

"Amen." Carmen said.

"So doc, aside from having a simple concussion, my daughter will be ok?" Sasha asked.

"Yes." Dr. Hashberg said.

"That's great news." Joe said smiling.

"Yes it is." Irina said hugging her father. Laurent smiled.

"I'm happy that I'm going to be fine doc but when can I leave?" Kate asked.

"When I've treated you for the concussion. In the mean time I want you to rest and relax." Dr. Hashberg said.

"How is Garrett?" She asked.

"He still hasn't woken up yet but we're still monitoring his condition." Dr. Hashberg told them. Kate looked away. She is so worried for him.

"Thanks for the update doc." Joe said shaking the doctor's hand.

"No problem. I'll be back later to check up you Kate." Dr. Hashberg said before leaving the room. Kate waves before he leaves her room.

"Oh thank god this nightmare is over." Alice said.

"Almost. Garrett hasn't woken up yet." Kate said. "I can't lose him." She begins to sob again. Everyone in the room felt for her. Joe goes to sit next to her. "Daddy, he's got to wake up. He's best thing to happen to me. I love him. He treats me so well. He's sweet, smart and funny. He put his life on the line for me. I owe him my life. I don't think I can live without him. He has to wake up he just has to." Kate said sobbing. Joe leans over to her and hold his crying daughter.

Detective Maine is on his way to the airport. He's got his duffle bag with him. He got Kate's statement and could finish up his report while on the way back home. He'd call his boss and let him know what's going on. He's sure by now that Captain Matthews had informed his Lt. on the situation but didn't hurt to make quick call either. He's got his ticket and boards the plane back to Miami. He decides to make the call before the plane takes off. He dials his Lt's number. He remembered the time difference from Seattle and Miami. In Seattle it's 8am. In Miami it's 11am.

"Lt. Dobs." Lt. Dobs answers.

"Lt. it's Maine." Det. Maine said.

"How's going over there? Get rained on yet?" Lt. Dobs asked jokingly.

"No. I'm on my way back home. The case is solved." Det. Maine told him.

"Good. What happened?" Lt. Dobs asked.

"Royce King is dead. When I got here, Kate Denali was fine until Royce kidnapped her. He and Cameron Diggs kept her in this seedy motel where Royce attacked her. Luckily for Kate's current boyfriend Garrett figured out where she was. He and his friends along with Kate's sisters went looking for her. It's all going to be in my report." Det. Maine said.

"How's the young lady doing?" Lt. Dobs asked.

"Oh she's going to be ok. She's a tough girl but is alive." Det. Maine told him.

"Ok. I'll see you when you get back here." Lt. Dobs said.

"Ok." Det. Maine said as he hung up his cell phone. He shut his phone off as the stewardess shuts the door. The plane takes off. Once in the air, Det. Maine begins his typing up his report.

The others had decided to go back to dorm to wash up and change. Eleazer and Carmen decided to grab something to eat. Joe was with them. Irina told Kate she'd bring her a change of clothes. Kate was able to sit up in her hospital bed but still felt a little dizzy. Sasha is sitting with her.

"How you doing honey?" Sasha asked her daughter.

"I'll be fine. I'm glad to be alive." She said to her mom who nods.

"You know when you didn't come home last summer, I was so worried about you. You didn't call or write. I wondered where you were. I wondered if something had happened or if I had done something to make you feel some kind of way. I didn't know what to think." Sasha said. Kate sighed.

"It wasn't you mom. It wasn't dad, Tanya Irina, Eli or Carmen. None of you did anything wrong to me. I…" Kate said feeling slight dizziness in her head. She put her hand to her head closing her eyes trying to let the dizziness pass. Sasha stared at her wondering if her daughter was ok. "I was horrified and beaten up. I didn't want you guys to see me like that. Like this." She said pointing to her face.

"I understand that baby but we're your family and would've been there for you no matter what." Sasha said.

"The other reason I didn't tell you guys what was happening to me was because Royce had threatened to kill you guys and I didn't want that. I thought he would make good on his promise. He already knew where we lived."

"We would've been protected. Besides, I don't think you give your father and me enough credit to protect ourselves as well as our children. Eli is certainly capable of handling himself." Sasha said to her. Kate smiled. "Katie baby, you should've come to us. We would've protected you. I don't care who threatens you, it's my job as your mother to protect you. Your father's job is to protect you, your sisters and your brother. If anything happens we need to know about it so we can have your back." Sasha told her.

"I'm sorry mom. I just didn't want anything happening to my family." Kate said to her.

"I know baby. Come here." She said pulling Kate into a hug. Kate snuggled in her mother's arms. "Tell me about Garrett." Sasha asks. Kate smiles pulling out of her mother's arms.

"He's great. When we first met, I was amazed at how tall, handsome and athletic he is." She said smiling. "He's such a gentlemen and treats me so well, like I'm a princess or something." Kate said smiling. Sasha smiles.

"Garrett sounds very charming." Sasha said.

"He is. When I was in high school, dating immature boys was the easy part although they certainly didn't make it easy." Kate said as Sasha agreed.

"You got that right." Sasha said to her as they chuckled.

"Then I think when I get to college, things would be different. I'd meet a nice mature guy who is ready to grow up, study hard and get his degree and start a career. I meet Royce and find out that guys are immature no matter how old they are." Kate said.

"Yep." Sasha said agreeing again. "I think college guys are little more immature than high school boys."

"Not Garrett. He's smart, speaks very well and an excellent football player." Kate said.

"I think your father and brother are gonna love him." Sasha said as they smiled.

"I almost cost him his life." Kate said.

"Baby, Garrett seems to be the kind of guy who loves and cares about you. You didn't put his life on the line. He did it to save you." Sasha said to her.

"He shouldn't have had to." Kate said. "Why couldn't Royce just leave me alone?"

"I don't know honey but he's gone now. He won't bother you ever again." Sasha said to her.

"I love him mom. I don't want him to die." Kate said to her.

"I know baby. We have to think positive. We have to pray he survives." Sasha said to her. The two embrace in another hug. Sasha wasn't a religious person but she did say a silent prayer for Garrett. He seemed like a nice enough guy and really showed it while Kate was missing. He was upset then he discovered where she was being kept and decided to go save her. Kate was lucky to have him. She definitely wanted him to wake up. She wants thank him in person for saving her baby.

Back on campus, Edward, Alice and Emmett all showered and changed into fresh clothes. They met up with Tanya, Irina, Laurent, Riley, Jasper, Bella and Rosalie in the lounge in the dorm building Kate resides at. Irina had gone to Kate's room and took out a pair clean underwear as well as her sweat pants and a clean t-shirt. She even picked up Kate's light sweater cause the girl gets chillie and her most comfortable slippers. They figured Kate would be in the hospital for a few more days if not a week. Mr. Winters was informed about Kate and Garrett's condition and told them that Garrett's family would be coming to check on him. Students who knew about the situation asked about Kate and Garrett.

"You got her extra clothes Irina?" Alice asked.

"Yes." Irina answers.

"Emmett, call mom and dad. They're worried." Alice said.

"Ok." Emmett said as he pulled out his cell and dialed their mom's number.

"Hello." Martha answers.

"Hey ma. It's Em." Emmett said to her.

"Oh thank god. Are you alright?" Martha asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." Emmett said. "Hold on I'm gonna put us on speaker." He said as he pressed the speaker button on his phone. Now everyone in the room could hear Martha as she could hear them. "We're on speaker mom."

"Hey ma." Edward said.

"Hi mom." Alice said.

"Thank god you guys are ok. How's Kate?" Martha asked.

"She's going to be ok." Irina said aloud.

"Rina is that you?" Martha asked.

"Yes it's me auntie." Irina said.

"Are you guys ok?" Martha asked.

"Yeah we're fine. Kate's in the hospital but she'll be fine. Emmett and out friends Garrett and Riley helped to save her." Irina said.

"Are Riley and Garrett there?" Martha asked.

"I'm Riley Ms. Cullen. Garrett is in the hospital as well. He got injured helping to save Kate." Riley said.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I wanna thank you and my son for helping to save my niece." Martha said to them. "When you get a chance thank Garrett as well."

"No thanks necessary. Kate is our friend we'll do anything to help her." Riley said earning some big points with Tanya. Tanya was staring out the window. Riley wondered if she was ok.

"Well I'm glad you all are ok. Rina, tell my sister I will be calling her." Martha said.

"Ok auntie." Irina said.

"Ma we're fine. Everything's going to be ok." Alice assured her mother.

"Ok darling. I'll pass on this good news to your father and brother." Martha told her.

"Ok bye." Edward, Emmett and Alice said in unison.

"Bye now." Martha said hanging up her phone. Emmett pressed the end call button on his phone.

"Your mom sounds nice." Rosalie said to him.

"She's the coolest mom in the world." He said as they headed out of the lounge.

"Outside of our mother of course." Irina said teasingly as they laughed. Emmett smirked. Riley put his arm around Tanya's shoulders. She hadn't said a word since yesterday and this worried him. The two would find a moment to talk later but for now, they'll head back to the hospital to be by Kate and Garrett's side.

The Parker family arrived at Seattle General. The eight individuals looked to be very wealth. The tall gentlemen looked to be in his late fifties. He's distinguished looking with dark black hair that has hints of grey. His black and grey gotee mixes in well with his dominating features. He stands about six feet four inches tall and is an older version of Garrett. Anyone that looks at this man can tell he's Garrett's father. He is in great shape for a man in his late fifties. The gentleman's name is a Gregory Parker and he is the owner of business firm. The woman beside him is a much smaller brunette with a generous bust size. She looked to be in her early fifties and like her husband has a terrific figure. The woman is Garrett's mother and is a judge. Her name is Gail Parker. Both are Garrett's parents. Both have five children and Garrett is their youngest. There three younger women with them along with three males, one of them being their other son. The first is a dark haired beauty name Gina Parker-Hines. Gina is Garrett's oldest sister. She's about as tall as her mom and looks to be a younger version of her. She certainly has her mother's bust size and petite figure. She's a married woman in her early thirties and a Psychiatrist. The second woman is Grace Parker. She is the second Parker child born. She's another one who's petite with semi generous bust size. Her hair color is the same as Gregory's and she is a lawyer and in her late twenties. She makes sure that her mother doesn't hear her cases. Grace is single but her career takes up most of her time. The third Parker child is Ginger Parker-Spencer. Ginger is taller than her two older sisters and her bust size is a bit smaller. Her hair is the same color as her mother's and she is Gynecologist. She's married a woman in her mid-twenties. The fourth Parker child born is a young man by the name of Gage Parker. Gage is a younger version of his father looking exactly like him. He's six feet two and is a bit more muscular than his old man. He and Garrett can often pass as twins because they look almost identical. Gage is in his early twenties and works for his father. The two other gentlemen with them are Mark Hines and BJ Spencer. Mark Hines is Gina's husband and a Dentist. The man is in his early thirties standing at about five eleven with dirty blond hair blue eyes and is in pretty good shape. BJ is Ginger's husband and Sports Agent. BJ is in his mid-twenties and a former football player who had a career ending injury. Lucky for him he was able to win a super bowl before the injury. Now he represents sports stars from football, basketball and baseball. He's six feet tall with a short brown hair brown eyes and a light neat shaven beard. Mark and Gina are the only ones of the siblings to have children. All live in California. Gage had just returned home from a business trip he took overseas and learns his baby brother is in the hospital. The family walked up to the receptionist desk.

"Excuse me. We're the Parker family. My son was brought in here. His name is Garrett Parker." Gregory Parker said.

"Mr. Parker, you can wait in the waiting area on the fourth floor. When you come off the elevator, make a left and head to the small waiting area. The doctor will be in to meet with you in a moment." The receptionist said.

"Ok thanks." Gregory said as he led his family to the smaller room on the fourth floor. They got off the elevator and headed towarda the waiting area.

"The receptionist said to wait here for the doctor." Gage Parker said.

"I hope he hurries up." Gina said worried about her brother.

"Why don't we just sit down and relax." BJ said. "I'm sure the doctor will be here any minute.

"Excuse me are you guys the Parker family?" Dr. Hashberg said as he peered into the smaller room.

"Yes we are." Gregory said. "I'm Gregory, my wife Gail, our daughters Gina, Grace and Ginger. Our son Gage and our son in laws Mark Hines and BJ Spencer." He said introducing his family who all waved to the doctor.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm doctor Hashberg. I'm treated Garrett when he was brought in." Dr. Hashberg said introducing himself to the family.

"Doc is my little brother ok?" Gage asked.

"Well Garrett took two bullets to the chest. The bullets were five inches from his heart." He said as the family reacted to the news. Gina and Grace begin to sob. "We successfully removed the bullets but Garrett remains in a unconscious. We've done all we can to assist him. The rest is up to him." Dr. Hashberg said.

"Oh my god." Gail said sobbing.

"How could something like this happen? What happened to my son?" Gregory asked.

"Well, I'm not certain of all the details but it has something to do with the Denali family." Dr. Hashberg said.

"The who?" Ginger asked.

"The Denali family. Their family member is in the hospital as well." Dr. Hashberg said.

"Did they do this to my brother?" Gina asked.

"No, I suspect he was shot protecting one of their own. A female name Kate Denali." Dr. Hashberg said.

"So Garrett was shot trying to protect some girl? Great." Gage said sarcastically.

"Doc, can we see him?" BJ asked.

"Sure. Follow me." Dr. Hashberg said as the family follows him towards Garrett's room. They stop upon seeing Garrett lying in the hospital bed. He looked peaceful. Dr. Hashberg opened the door to allow the family into the room.

"Oh god my baby." Gail said she sobbed hard. Gregory held his wife letting her sob. Gina, Grace and Ginger cried out for Garrett. BJ and Mark held their wives. Gage goes over to Garrett's bed and sat down next to him.

"Hey little bro. You gotta wake up. You gotta wake up for mom, dad, our sisters, for me. We can't lose you bro. Please wake up. Your family is here. No matter how long it takes." Gage said to his little brother.

The others had returned to the hospital. Tanya had decided to stay in the waiting area. She was still upset with Kate and didn't want to see her yet. Irina and the others went to see Kate bringing her the clean clothes she asked for. Sasha, Carmen and Alice helped Kate get out of bed wash up and change into her clean clothes. The others sat in the room chatting. Joe noticed that the only person not in the room with them was Tanya. He asked Riley if Tanya had stayed back on campus. He said no and that she came to the hospital with them. Joe figured Tanya was probably in the waiting area and decided to go have a chat with his oldest daughter. He made his way into the waiting area. There Tanya sat holding a cup of coffee in her hands. She was staring outside of the window. He knew something was on her mind. He decided to talk to her.

"So you're hiding out in the waiting area huh?" Joe said going over sit next to her.

"I'm not hiding. I just needed time to myself." Tanya said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Or you're avoiding your sister." Joe said. Tanya looked away. "I know you Tanya. I know when you're mad or pissed at someone because you begin to avoid them. Like the time you got angry with Eleazer when he accidentally flushed Charlie your gold fish down the toilet. You avoided him like the plaque."

"I just need time to think." Tanya said to him.

"Is that what you call it?" Joe asked.

"Yes." Tanya said a little annoyed that her father is questioning her. He's right of course but she just didn't want to be questioned.

"Aren't you happy that Kate is safe?" Joe asked her.

"Of course I am. It's just that…that…I don't know." Tanya said trying to gather her feelings but unable to.

"Tell me what's really bothering Tanya." Joe asked.

"Ok, you wanna know how I feel. I'll tell you. I'm pissed at Kate. You were right." Tanya said.

"I know I'm right. I wanna know why you're angry with her." Joe asked.

"I'm mad because she didn't tell me what happened to her. I'm angry because I use to think we were close enough that she can tell me anything and I'd be there to help her. It just…" Tanya said.

"Hurts." Joe said finishing her sentence. Tanya nods. He knew all along how Tanya was feeling.

"I just wish she had come to me and talk to me." Tanya said to him.

"Kate has her reasons for not speaking up about what she went through." Joe said to her.

"I'm so tired of people keeping things from me." Tanya said angrily.

"Kate thought she was protecting us from Royce if we didn't know what was going on. That's foolish in my opinion but it was her choice to make." Joe said.

"Dad, how do you or Eli feel about Kate keeping the abuse she suffered a secret from you two?" Tanya asked.

"I feel the exact same way you're feeling. I don't like the fact that my daughter was hurt by that asshole. I don't like the fact that he almost killed her and I sure as hell don't like the fact that she kept this from us but I'll tell you one thing, I respect Kate's decision not to tell anyone about what she went through. I love her as much as I love you, your sister and brother and I don't want to see any of you hurt. Put yourself in her shoes Tanya." Joe said as Tanya looked away frowning. "If you had to make a tough choice, what would you do?" He asked her. She couldn't answer that. "You spent so much time angry with her for not telling you that you didn't focus on how hard the choice must've been for her. You two are still close but this was choice that is difficult to make. The fact is that Kate did what she had to do. We have to respect her decision no matter how much we disagree." Joe said to her. Tanya had tears in her eyes. She knew her father was right.

"I just wanted to be there for her." Tanya sobbed.

"What would you have done if she came to you and told you what was going on with her?" Joe asked.

"I don't know. I would've flew to Miami, kick Royce's ass myself and taken Kate away from him. I would've gotten her out of there. I'm her older sister. I'm supposed to protect her and Irina. I failed." Tanya said sobbing. "I failed."

"Come here." Joe said pulling her into a hug. "You couldn't have known what was going on. Don't blame yourself." He continued to hold Tanya while she sobbed.

"How's that?" Carmen said helping Kate put on her slippers. Eleazer put her sweater over her shoulders.

"It's great thanks." Kate said as she carefully lays back on her bed.

"You had us so worried for you." Carmen said.

"Don't ever do that again." Eleazer said then leaning to Kate and kissing her forehead.

"I'm sorry I worried you guys." Kate said.

"It's ok. You're safe now that's all that matters." Eleazer said to her. Kate smiled as best as she could thanking god her nightmare was over.

"Hey can you do me a favor?" Kate asked.

"Anything." Eleazer told her.

"Can you check with the Dr. Hashberg and see if there's any news on Garrett's condition?" Kate asked.

"You really like this guy huh?" Carmen asked.

"Yes. I love him." Kate said to them.

"Ok. I'll go check on him." Eleazer said as he made his way out of her room.

With his family in the room, Garrett's eyes begin to flutter open. Gage continued to sit with him while Ginger sat on BJ's lap. Gina sat on Mark's lap. Gail and Gregory said on the sofa chair waiting patiently for their youngest child to awaken. Gage is the first to notice Garrett waking up.

"Gar, wake up bro." Gage said as he leaned over to look into his eyes. Garrett's eyes flutter open completely. "Welcome back bro." Gage said smiling happily. "He's awake." He said as the rest of the family came to see Garrett opening his eyes.

"Where am I?" Garrett asked.

"You're in the hospital bro." Gina responds.

"Mom, Dad. You're all here?" Garrett said.

"Yes we are baby. We're here." Gail said smiling.

"How you feeling son?" Gregory asked.

"Like a million bucks." Garrett joked as the others laughed. "Where's Kate?" He asked.

"Who's Kate?" Ginger asked.

"You mean the Denali girl the doctor was telling us about?" Mark asked.

"Yeah. Where is she?" Garrett asked looking at them concerned.

"The doctor said she's here in the hospital with her family but that's all we know." Gail responds.

"What happened that you got shot?" Gage asks.

"Kate, the girl in question is my girlfriend. Her ex had abused her when she was a student at Miami University. She fled because he almost killed her. She came to Seattle and I tell you bro when I laid eyes on her it was love at first sight." He said as they smiled. "We got to talking and then we began dating. It wasn't long before her ex found out where she was, escaped prison and came after her. I vowed to protect her with my life. Her ex showed up to the campus and kidnapped her. I figured out where she was and went to save her. I fought with him whooping his butt. The cops showed up and Detective Maine convinced me not to kill him. That was a mistake because the bastard shot me twice. That's all I remember." Garrett explained.

"I hear this is where I can find a hero?" Joe said entering the room. Garrett and his family turn towards the door to see Joe Denali with Eleazer and Kate he's holding her. Kate had decided she wanted to see Garrett. She had no idea he had woken up. She smiles upon seeing him. Garrett smiles to. She still felt a little dizzy but still wanted to see him.

"We're sorry to intrude but my sister here wanted to see Garrett." Eleazer said.

"Hey beautiful." Garrett said to her. She looked down shyly at the floor not feeling very beautiful thanks to Royce. She smiled anyway because it was Garrett who called her that. It was him who tried to save her.

"Hey handsome." Kate said as the two smiled. Garrett's family stared at her. She must've been the girl Garrett was referring to. They could see why Garrett liked her. Underneath all the bruised lied a beautiful woman.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you guys. I just wanted to shake the hand of the young man who helped save my daughter. Garrett, thank you for saving Kate. It means a lot to my family and I."

"No thanks needed sir. I love Kate with everything in me. She's the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with. Get use to this face. You might get tired of me." Garrett joked with that last comment.

"Never." Joe said smiling as they laughed. "I'm Joe Denali. That's my son Eleazer." Joe said introducing himself. "You met my daughter Kate. I have two of other daughters who are downstairs. Eli go tell the others to come up." He tells him. Eleazer nods before exiting the room.

"Gregory Parker. This is my wife Gail, my daughters Gina, Grace and Ginger. My son Gage and my son in laws Mark and BJ." Gregory said introducing his family.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I wish it were under better circumstances." Joe said to the situation. He could tell the Parkers are good people.

"It's cool." Gage said. "Everyone seems to be safe and healing. That's all that matters."

"You must be Kate?" Gina asked.

"Yes." Kate said as Gina goes over to hug her. Kate was surprised by the gesture.

"I'm so sorry you were hurt and I'm glad that you both are alive." Gina said to her.

"Thank you." Kate said. Ginger and Grace gave her a hug. Gail pulled up a chair so Kate could sit down next to Garrett.

"How you feeling?" Garrett asked her. He takes his hand and gently rubs her face.

"I'm fine now that you're awake." Kate said to him smiling enjoying his touch. Gail, Greg and Joe watched their interaction and knew that these two were met to be together. "I'm sorry." She said sadly.

"Why?" Garrett asked her.

"Because of me you're here." She said to him.

"No it's because of that asshole Royce that I'm here." Garrett corrected her. "Kate I told you before I love you and will always protect you. You mean the world to me and I'm not about to lose you." He said to her. Kate smiled leans into him as the two kiss.

Laurent sees Irina standing by the window of the waiting area. He goes over to her. He remembered the conversation they had and wanted to see if she had somehow changed her mind. She looked so beautiful to him. He's kicking himself as to why he'd ever hurt her. He tapped her on the shoulder.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." She said smiling.

"I just wanted to check in on you to see if you changed your mind." Laurent told her.

"Change my mind about what?" Irina asked.

"About having a second chance with you." Laurent said to her.

"I told you I forgive you." Irina said to him.

"But does that mean you'll give me another chance?" He asked her. She thought about that for a moment.

"Yes." Irina said.

"Good. I'm glad you're giving me another chance." Laurent said to her. Irina smiled as he pulled into him and the two kissed. "I promise to make it up to you."

"You better." Irina said as they continued kissing.

Eleazer had informed the others about Garrett waking up. Laurent, Irina, Riley, Tanya, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Bella, and Edward all rushed upstairs to see him. They were followed by Sasha and Carmen. Joe had gone back upstairs to Garrett's room where he and Gregory decided to talk one father to another. Sasha had introduced herself to Gail and the others. Both mothers got together to talk. Tanya and Irina introduced themselves to Gina, Ginger and Grace. Gage found Tanya very attractive but Riley wouldn't like that. The Parkers also met the Cullen siblings who are the cousins to Kate, Tanya, Irina and Eleazer. Eleazer introduced his wife Carmen to the Parkers as well. It seemed as if everyone is getting along. Tanya wanted to talk to Kate alone for a moment. She goes over to her and Garrett. The two looked cozy together. She hated to interrupt them but she needed a moment with her kid sis.

"Hey you two." Tanya said to them smiling.

"Hey." Garrett said.

"How are you feeling Gar?" Tanya asked him.

"I'm alive and happy to see this pretty lady." Garrett said smiling.

"Well I'm glad to hear it. I also wanted to thank you for saving my sister." Tanya said to him.

"You helped as well. You and Irina got Kate out of that motel room. Riley, Emmett and I provided the distraction." Garrett said smiling.

"Well it worked. She's safe, you're alive and Royce is dead." Tanya said to him.

"Amen." Kate said as they chuckled.

"Listen, do you mind if I talk to my sis for a second?" Tanya asked.

"Sure but bring her back." Garrett said as they both laughed.

"You got it." Tanya said as she walked Kate out into the hallway. Both sat down on the chairs outside of Garrett's room. Tanya looked away trying to gather her thoughts. Kate could tell something was wrong and for the first time it was her turn to ask her sister what was wrong.

"T what's wrong?" Kate asked. Tanya sighed and turned to face her.

"I wanted to talk to you because I've been feeling a certain way and needed to let you know this." Tanya said to her Kate knew where she was going with this.

"You're mad at me because I didn't tell you about my being abused?" Kate asked. Tanya nodded. "I told you why I didn't say anything. I thought I was protecting my family and friends from Royce. I thought that if I kept you guys out of it that you'd be safe."

"Yet you went through hell with this guy and we were left in the dark." Tanya said to her. Kate looked away. "I'm gonna explain what I feel about this whole things. I'm happy that you survived. I'm relieved actually. I'm angry that you didn't confide in me about what was going on. I'm also hurt because I believed we were close and I found out I was wrong about that."

"No you're not wrong. We are close." Kate pleads with her.

"Let me finish. I also blame myself." Tanya as Kate stared at her confused. "I blame myself because I should've been there to protect you. Had I known about it, I would've flown to Florida and kicked the shit out of Royce and taken you away. I failed because it was my job to protect you and I didn't. Although I respect your decision, I don't necessarily agree with it. I just wanted to be there for you like a big sister should and you took that from me." Kate stared at her. "I love you Kate and I vowed that I'd protect you and Irina forever and sometimes I feel like I'm not doing that. If I don't know what's going on then I can't protect you." Tanya said to her. Kate smiles at her. Tanya wonders why she's smiling.

"T, you are the coolest big sister Irina and I could ever have. You do protect us. I love the fact that you look out for us. You spend so much time protecting us but who's protecting you?" Kate said. Tanya didn't respond. "It's not your fault that I was abused and it's not your fault that you didn't protect me. I appreciate you wanting to look out for me but I don't need you to. It's my job to look after myself. So stop blaming yourself and get over being mad at me. I had my reasons for not telling you what was going. You have to accept that." Kate told her.

"I do." Tanya told her.

"I love you sis." Kate said to her. Tanya smiles.

"I love you to. Come here you little bugger." Tanya said as Kate smiles pulling her sister into a hug. Kate was so grateful to have a sister like Tanya who wanted nothing more than to see that her sisters were safe. She had come to the realization that neither sister needed her to protect them. While she understood this, she knew she'd always have their backs. Sasha watched and smiled. She knew how Tanya felt. After all, a mother knows her children.

Both girls had gone back into Garrett's room. Kate made herself comfortable on his bed. Garrett allowed her to lay with him while they watched their families chat about everything. The two families seemed to be getting along wonderfully much to Kate and Garrett's delight. Kate felt a little light headed as a dizzy spell hit her hard. everyone in the room stopped to watch her making she was ok. When it passed, everyone sighed relieved. Kate explained that she felt a little dizzy and that it would pass. She said that a person can experience dizzy spells after suffering a concussion. She gave everyone a reassuring smile. Garrett was concerned until she smiled at him. Kate looks over at him staring at his chest wound.

"What's wrong?" Garrett asks her noticing her stare at his wound. He knew the answer to that the question he just asked her but wanted her to speak her mind.

"I feel bad that you're got hurt." Kate said to him.

"Baby, don't worry about it. It's over. You're safe now. We're gonna be fine." Garrett told her. Kate smiled at him.

"I love you." Kate said to him.

"I love you to." Garrett said as the two kissed.

Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Riley, Tanya, Laurent and Irina all surround Kate and Garrett. The groups laughed and joked about everything under the sun all grateful that the danger for Kate was over and that Garrett is still alive. This truly was a miracle to them. Both the Parker and Denali family are getting along well. Emmett told jokes while the others laughed. Laurent and Riley shook Garrett's hand. Riley was glad Irina was giving Laurent another chance. He knew Laurent to be a good guy. He sometimes made some bad choices but was still a decent guy anyway.

Dr. Hashberg came by to check on both Garrett and Kate. Both seemed to be recovering from their wounds. He allowed Kate to stay in the room with her boyfriend. He smiled realizing just how cute they look together.

Two weeks had gone by. Garrett and Kate had been released from the hospital. Dr. Hashberg had cleared them. Garrett's family had gone back to California but not before inviting Kate and her family to visit. They agreed to do it during Thanksgiving. Kate recovered nicely from her injuries. Her face had healed from the bruises. It looks as if she had no bruises at all. Garrett meanwhile is still feeling some pain but nothing major. Both were able to return to school. Garrett can't compete on the football team until he's fully healed. Dr. Hashberg said it maybe a month before he's fully healed. Garrett's replacement is pretty good so the team is in good hands. Both were glad that the nightmare was finally over. Kate could focus on school and her relationship with a great guy.


	24. Wedding Day

True Love

Chapter Twenty-Four

Wedding Day

Two years have passed since the events involving Royce have taken place. Kate and the others have moved on with their lives. Kate and Garrett continued dating and getting better acquainted with each other. Both their families held true to their word to spend the holidays together. They included the Cullens. All had a wonderful time. Kate never smiled so much. She and Garrett made love a lot. She sits in her hotel thinking about her life and how it got to this point. She and Garrett are getting married tomorrow morning and she couldn't wait to marry him. She plays with her engagement ring thinking about the last two years.

_Graduation Day_

_It's graduation day for the seniors. Kate, Garrett, Alice, Edward, Bella, Rosalie, Emmett, Laurent, Jasper, and Riley are graduating today. The Cullens, Denalis and the Parkers are all at the ceremony to bare witness to the graduating class. Tanya is there as well. She had graduated the year before and is currently in medical school in Seattle. Irina is seated next to her because she isn't scheduled to graduate until next year. The ceremony is taking place outside of the football field. At one goal post stands a podium with a microphone with several chairs behind it. Faculty members are all seated in the chairs behind the podium. In front of the podium, there are lots of chairs lined up for the graduation class to be seated in. Family and friends all sat in the bleachers all around the football field._

_The graduating seniors all make their way from towards the seats in the football field. All looked amazing in their red and white cap and gowns. Kate makes her way towards her seat followed by Garrett, Riley, Laurent, Bella, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice. Other seniors followed behind them. All of the seniors lined up before sitting down in their chairs. Dean Hank Winters began to speak. As he did, Garrett kept looking at Kate. He loved her more than life its self. He was fidgeting with a box in his pocket. He had asked his father if he could help him buy an engagement ring for Kate. His father was skeptical at first but Garrett convinced him that he loves her and wants to make Kate his wife. His father gave him the money to buy an engagement ring for Kate. _

"_Hey." He said leaning over to her. _

"_What?" Kate asked whispering. _

"_I wanted to ask you something." Garret told her. Neither of them were listening to Mr. Winters speak. Garrett pulled the box out of his pants pocket._

"_What?" Kate asked him._

"_Will you marry me?" Garrett asked her. Kate's mouth shot open in shock as he displayed the ring in front of her. A nice diamond engagement ring sat neatly in a beautiful jewelry box. Kate smiles. _

"_Yes. I will marry you." Kate said smiling. Garrett smiles while placing the ring on her finger. Both lean in and kiss each other. _

_The senior class got their diplomas as they have officially graduated from college. Garrett and Kate hadn't informed their families about the engagement yet and invited the two families to break the news and celebrate the occasion at a local restaurant._

_Things had definitely changed for Kate and the others. All went on to do great things with their lives. Irina is a senior college now. She's close to getting her degree. She and Laurent moved in together and their relationship is better than ever. Laurent got his pre-law degree and had entered law school. He's got one more year left before he takes the bar exam. He and Irina both have part time jobs to pay their bills but both their parents help them out with that. Tanya and Riley are still together. She earned her pre-med degree. She's in her third year of medical school and is doing her residency at the same time. Riley earned his business degree and landed a job at big time business firm that is owned by Gregory Parker. Both live together and their relationship is still going strong. Both agreed to wait a year before taking the next step in their relationship. Jasper earned his business degree and works at the same firm as Riley does. Alice got her degree in psychology. She is going back to school for two more years to earn her master's degree. She does have a license to see patients which she does part time at a boarding school. She and Jasper live together in Seattle. Edward got his pre-med degree and attends the same medical school Tanya attends. He and Tanya are on the verge of becoming doctors. He and Bella live together. Bella earned her degree in Theatre and has a starring role in an upcoming play. Emmett earned his degree in business as well and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks to play professional football. Rosalie got her pre-law degree and like Laurent is attending law school. She will soon take the bar exam to practice law. She and Emmett also live in Seattle. Kate got her degree in Literature and business and landed a job at an Ad agency. She and Garrett moved in together right out of college. Garrett's father's company has opened an office in Seattle that Garrett's brother Gage is the director of operations. Garrett, Riley and Jasper work with him. In fact, he made them his executive directors. They report to him while other employees report to them. The pay is excellent and all are a team. _

_Since proposing to Kate during their graduation ceremony, Garrett hadn't told anyone about the engagement. In fact he made Kate swear she wouldn't say anything until they announced it together. Kate smiles and agrees not to say anything. Garrett had called his parents, siblings and brothers in law to ask if they were free to have dinner. They agreed. Kate did the same. She called her sisters, brother, sister in law and parents to invite them to dinner. She also invited her cousins with whom she still sees because they all reside in Seattle. Both Garrett and Kate told them they have an announcement and it's important for the two families to be there. _

_Dinner Party _

_The Parkers and the Denalis all gathered at the Metropolitan Grill Restaurant in Seattle. They were all seated in the back where a special table was set up for the group. Seated at the table are as followed: Garrett, Kate, Tanya, Riley, Laurent Irina, Eleazer, Carmen, Joe, Sasha, Jasper, Alice, Edward, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, Gregory, Gail, Mark, Gina, Grace, BJ, Ginger and Gage. Gage seated on the other side of Garrett. They all ordered food and drinks while talking. Everyone was wondering why they all gathered for dinner. So of course Alice asked._

"_Ok so, I'm not the only one here who is wondering this and don't think that I don't like hanging out and having dinner with the family, but uh Garrett Kate, why the hell are we here?" Alice asked playfully as everyone at the table laughed. Kate and Garrett laughed as well._

"_Well, we should tell you guys since we have you all here and all." Garrett said as they all laughed again. "I proposed to Kate." He said smiling waiting for their responses. _

"_And?" Gage asked._

"_And I said yes. We're getting married." Kate said excitedly. All the women at the table squealed in excitement. The guys cheered._

"_Oh congratulations baby." Sasha said getting up to hug her daughter and future son in law._

"_Yes my darlings. Congrats." Gail said hugging them excitedly. They were followed by the others congratulating them on the engagement. Once everything died down, Gregory ordered another round of champagne. _

"_I would like to make a quick toast." Joe said standing up._

"_Uh dad, save it for the wedding."Eleazer said as the group laughed again._

"_Hahaha. This will be quick." Joe said smiling._

"_You're speeches are never quick honey." Sasha said as the group chuckles again._

"_I just wanted to say that I can't wait for the day that I walk my daughter down the aisle. It's a father's dream to do that for his daughters." Joe said smiling at Kate who smiles back._

"_You've got to do it two more times after Kate." Emmett said as the group laughed. Joe laughs to._

"_And I will. Here's to the happy couple. I love you both and wish you the best." Joe said as everyone raised their glasses. _

"_Cheers." Everyone said in unison as they clicked glasses together and sipped their drinks. Kate and Garrett smiled at their family then at each other._

"_Did you two set a date yet?" Bella asked._

"_June 10__th__. That's a Friday. We'll be sending invitations." Kate said as they all smiled._

"_We are so helping you with the wedding plans." Alice said._

"_Great, the girls work on the wedding while the guys show up looking good." Gage said as the group laughs. _

_The girls began planning the wedding. Each person was assigned to handle a specific task. Kate and Garrett had agreed that the wedding would take place in Hawaii on Maui and they'd stay for their honeymoon. They chose their bride's maids and grooms men. Kate chose Tanya, Irina, Alice, Bella and Rosalie to be her bride's maids. Garrett chose Riley, Laurent, Jasper, Edward and Emmett as his grooms men. Gail would be in charge of the flower arrangement. Kate told her she liked Hawaiian colors so Gail worked with a florist to pick out some nice Hawaiian color. Garrett and Kate had already picked out their wedding bands so Sasha picked up the wedding bands. While Kate picked out her dress, she made sure the bride's maid dresses were white as well. Alice was in charge of picking out some nice dresses. Bella, Rosalie, Tanya and Irina helped her out by picking out nice dresses for themselves. Grace was in charge of planning the bachelorette party. Gina and Ginger picked out a band who'd play music at the wedding. Joe and Gregory were in charge of getting the tuxedoes. Garrett and Kate agreed on a grey tuxedo. Garrett picked out his. Gregory and Joe made sure to pick out grey suits for the grooms men. All of the men got the opportunity to try on and pick out their suits for the wedding. Eleazer, Gage, BJ, and Mark were in charge of putting together the bachelor party. _

_Everyone had a great time at their bachelor and bachelorette parties. Garrett and Kate made a promise that neither one of them would tell each other about their parties. _

Kate stopped reminiscing. She turned to the chair that houses her beautiful white wedding gown. She smiled at the gown. She thought about everything that has happened in her life and wondered how lucky she is to have Garrett. She loved him so much. No doubt about that. She was glad to be marrying him. Neither of them had seen each other for a little over a week. Both had been gearing up for the wedding not to mention the honeymoon. She had definitely come a long way. She went from being in an abusive relationship to finding true love. That doesn't happen too often and when it does you hold on to it with everything you have. Kate laid in her big bed thinking about this concept.

Wedding Day

The wedding is to take place at a chapel set up by the hotel outside of the hotel. There are two rows filled with chairs. The chapel is decorated Hawaiian style. There is a white flooring that leads down the aisle towards the chapel. Kate will no doubt be walking that flooring along with the bride's maid and grooms. The priest has made his appearance.

The wedding guests had arrived and are taking their seats. Martha Cullen along with her husband Ray and their son Carlisle arrived to the wedding. Ray and Martha are the parents to Edward, Emmett and Alice. Carlisle is their older brother. With Carlisle are his wife Esme and their children. Gail and Sasha are escorting everyone to their seats. Gail is also greeting her cousins on her side of the family as well as Gregory's side of the family.

Kate is in her room getting ready. She had already taken her shower and is being helped by Tanya, Irina, Alice, Bella, Rosalie, Gina, Grace and Ginger. They helped do Kate's hair which is curled and pulled up into a nice bun. Alice did her make up. Irina helped her slip into her wedding gown. Her wedding gown is a strapless informal dress with lace trimmed sweet heart neckline, beaded lace bust line with a twist detail, an empire waistline, double layered skirt with ruffled front hem and sweep train. The dress looked magnificent on Kate. Gina and Ginger had supplied Kate with designer jewelry. Kate put on her sterling earrings, and a beautiful charm bracelet that Grace had gotten her as a wedding present.

"Ok it's time for the shoes." Alice said as they watched Kate put her shoes on. The shoes were white with diamond in crested rose at the toe of the shoe.

"Ok. How do I look?" Kate asked. Everyone stared at her with aw.

"You look absolutely radiant. Tanya said smiling.

"She's right sis, you look amazing." Irina said.

"Beautiful." Alice said to her. The other women agreed.

"Thanks everyone." Kate said smiling. There's a knock at the door. Kate smiled. "Come in." She said as several people entered the room. The people were Eleazer, Carmen, Gail, Sasha and Joe walked into the room. They were stunned to see Kate looking so beautiful.

"Wow." Eleazer said smiling.

"You look so beautiful." Carmen said as she went over to hug Kate. Kate smiled loving the attention.

"You're absolutely glowing baby." Sasha said to her planting a kiss on her cheek. Everyone in the room turned to Joe who was just staring at his daughter shocked at how lovely she looks.

"You look breath-takingly beautiful." Joe said to her. He holds his hands out for her to take.

"Thank you daddy." Kate said as he hugged her. There's another knock at the door. "Come in." Kate said as Gage, BJ, Mark, Riley, Laurent, Jasper, Emmett and Edward step into the room. All of them are dressed in their grey suits matching Garrett's.

"Wow." Gage said to her smiling.

"You look amazing Kate." Riley told her.

"Beautiful." Mark said as BJ agreed.

"Wonderful." Jasper said to her.

"Stunning." Edward said to her.

"Gorgous." Emmett said.

"Thanks guys. You guys look amazing as well." Kate said to them.

"We do look rather dapper don't we?" Jasper said as they laughed.

"I'm so nervous." Kate said.

"Don't be. You're gonna make a great wife." Gail said.

"Garrett looks just good as you do." Emmett said.

"I'm gonna go back check on him. See you out there." Gage said as he left the room.

Garrett is leaving the room to make his way to the chapel. Garrett is dressed in a grey suit with the cufflinks Gage got him. His hair is slick back and he's sporting a sexy gotee. He checks himself in the mirror one last time before turning to head towards the chapel. Gage sees him and runs up to him. Gail had left Kate's room following Gage to take a look at Garrett.

"Hey little brother." Gage said catching up to him.

"Hey. Did you see Kate?" Garrett asked.

"Yes and she looks amazing." Gage said fixing his tie.

"There you are." Gail said running up to them.

"Hey ma, tell him how beautiful Kate looks." Gage told her.

"Yeah she looks so amazing. You're going to love her look." Gail said smiling.

"I already do." Garrett said to her smiling.

"You look cool bro." Gage said patting him on the back.

"Thanks bro." Garrett said to his brother smiling.

"You ready?" Gage asked him.

"Oh yeah." Garrett said as the three headed towards the chapel.

Outside of Kate's room, Gina, Ginger and Grace are standing outside with BJ and Mark.

"She looks so amazing." Gina said.

"Yeah she does. She's going to make a good wife for Garrett." BJ said.

"Yep." Ginger said. The others agreed.

"Hey you three." Mark said as he spots Gail, Gage and Garrett.

"Hey we're heading towards the chapel." Garrett said.

"Ok we'll follow you." Gina said taking the arm of her husband Mark. Ginger took the arm of her husband BJ and Gail took the arm of arm of her single daughter Grace. They all headed into the chapel where they sat down.

Emmett, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Bella, Laurent, Irina, Riley and Tanya waited for Kate outside. Kate is still in the room with Sasha and Joe. Sasha provided Kate with something old. She gave her a diamond necklace that belonged to her grandmother. Her father gave her diamond pendent with her birthstone in it as something new. Alice had given her a teddy. She of course wanted that back. It was sonething borrowes so Kate could get her freak on as Alice had so nicely put it.

"Are you ready to tie the knot?" Sasha asked fixing Kate's makeup and hair making sure she looked perfect.

"Yes." Kate said nervously. She took a deep breathe. "I'm so nervous."

"You're going to do fine honey. Everyone gets nervous in these moments." Sasha said.

"Ok." Kate said.

"Oh come here." Sasha said hugging her daughter one last time. "I love you baby."

"I love you to mom." Kate said. Sasha let her go.

"I'll see you out there." Sasha said exiting the room. She made her way pass the others to the chapel taking her seat next to Martha who is seated next to Ray. Behind them are Carlisle, Esme and their children. Eleazer and Carmen are seated next to them holding their children.

"Here we are." Joe said to his little girl. Kate smiled. "I can't believe you are getting married. I always thought Tanya would be the first but you seemed to amaze me. I love you my darling little girl."

"I love you to daddy." Kate said as they hugged.

"Ready to join us married folks?" Joe asked smiling. Kate chuckled.

"Yes." Kate said.

"Ok well let's get you married." Joe said as he extended his arm out to Kate who took it. They both stepped out of the room. "Let's get ready guys." He said as everyone lined up. Rosalie and Emmett lined up first, followed by Edward and Bella, Jasper and Alice, Laurent and Irina, Riley and Tanya who will stand behind Garrett and Kate. Kate stands with her arm around her father.

The music plays as all the guests are seated. They turned to the entrance of the chapel. The girls stood to one side while the guys were on the other. The first couple to come down the aisle was Emmett and Rosalie. They were followed by Edward and Bella, next up was Jasper and Alice. Laurent and Irina followed, then Riley and Tanya. They lined up in this order: Emmett last, Edward in front of him, Jasper in front of him, Laurent in front of him, and then Riley who stands directly behind Garrett as his best man. Garrett smiles in anticipation. On the Bride's side, Rosalie is last, in front of her is Bella, standing in front of her is Alice, in front of Alice is Irina, and then Tanya who is to stand directly behind Kate as her bride's maid. Gail had given Tanya and Riley their wedding bands to hand to Kate and Garrett when the time was right. The guests turned their head as Kate is escorted down the aisle by her father Joe. Garrett is at the alter and is stunned at how beautiful Kate looked. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Everyone could see how amazing she looked. Kate smiled as everyone stared at her. Joe escorts her towards Garrett who eagerly takes Kate's hands in his. The priest stands in front of them. Everyone sat down.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of god to join Garrett Parker and Katrina Denali in holy matrimony. "Who gives this lovely woman away?" The Priest asks.

"I do. Joseph Denali." Joe answers.

"Before I go on, is there anyone who can show cause why this man and woman may not be married shall speak now or forever hold their peace?" The priest said and no one raised their hands. "Wonderful. Now, Garrett, will you have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after god's ordinance in holy matrimony. Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her so long as you shall live?"

"I do." Garrett said holding Kate's hands looking her in her eyes lovingly.

"Katrina, will you have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after god's ordinance in holy matrimony. Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her so long as you shall live?" The Priest asked.

"I do." Kate said looking into Garrett's eyes lovingly.

"May we have the rings please?" The priest asks. Both Riley and Tanya gave Garrett and Kate the rings. "Now Garrett, I want you to repeat after me, I Garrett Jacob Parker, take thy Katrina Elizabeth Denali to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and in health, til death do us part. With this ring I thee wed."

"I Garrett Jacob Parker, take thy Katrina Elizabeth Denali to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and in health, til death do us part. With this ring I thee wed." Garrett said as he places the ring on Kate's finger.

"Katrina, repeat the same." The priest says.

"I Katrina Elizabeth Denali take thy Garrett Jacob Parker to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and in health, til death do us part. With this ring I thee wed." Kate said as she placed the ring on Garrett's finger.

"Now by the power invested in me in the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride." The priest says as Garret eagerly pulled Kate into a lustful kiss. Everyone began clapping for the lovely couple. Garrett and Kate stop kissing and pull away smiling. Garrett raises their hands high above their heads as everyone clapping and cheering. Both Kate and Garrett make their way down the aisle as the new Mr. and Mrs. Parker. They are followed by Riley and Tanya, then Laurent and Irina, Jasper and Alice, Edward and Bella last but not least Emmett and Rosalie.

The newlyweds and their guests all made their way into the reception area under the tent. There's a stage with a microphone, a live band paying a nice little melody. Garrett and Kate are seated next to each other. Next to Garrett are his parents, Gina, Mark, Grace, Ginger and BJ. Next to Kate are her parents, Eleazer, Carmen, Tanya, Riley, Irina and Laurent. At the next table are the Cullens and Marshalls. The Marshall family are Garrett's uncle, aunt and his cousins. The Cullens are related to Kate. Martha, Ray, Edward, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice are seated on one side while the Marshalls are on the other side of the table. The rest of the guests are spread out across six tables. There's food that was made from one of the best chefs in Maui. There's a huge wedding cake with a bride and groom on top. There's also a chocolate fountain where the guests could put chocolate on their cakes and there's ice cream to go along with the cake. There's a mat on the ground that will allow the guest including the bride and groom to dance. Everyone was served food by the waiters. Everyone sat enjoying each other's company and the reception. Garrett and Kate fed each other. Now it was time for the speeches. Emmett got up on stage holding a glass of wine. He stands in front of the micro phone.

"Excuse me can I have your attention please?" Emmett said his booming voice is heard over the speakers. He now has everyone's attention as everyone turned to him. "I would like to propose a toast to the lovely couple. I'm so glad that my cousin found Garrett. Of course you can't miss him he's so damn tall." He said as everyone laughed. Garrett and Kate laughed. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you two. I enjoyed helping Garrett kick ass and save my cousin. Garrett you are the man." Emmett said as everyone held up their glasses. "Here's to the happy couple. May you have a wonderful marriage and Garrett gives my cousin lots of rugrats." He said as everyone laughed.

"Cheers." Everyone said clicking their glasses.

"I would like to say a few words." Tanya said as she took the mic from Emmett. "I wanna say how proud I am of Kate. I'm also happy for her and Garrett. I knew when he first laid eyes on her that they'd be together. I know how my stubborn my sister can be. Now that you two are married, here are some tips for dealing with my sister." She said pulling out a long paper. Kate and Garrett are laughing harder along with everyone else. Tanya herself can't help but laugh. She began to read off a small list of tips for Garrett to use against Kate during their marriage. Everyone laughed enjoying this. "To be serious, I love you both and wish you guys the best in your marriage and like my cousin Emmett said, you will be making me and Irina aunties and Eli an uncle. Thank you." Tanya said getting off the stage and going over to hug her sister. She kissed Garrett on the cheek.

"I guess it's my turn to speak." Riley said as he got up on stage after his girlfriend. "I wanna make a toast to my boy Garrett. He's by far one of the nicest, most caring individuals I have her met. He's one of my closest friends and I love him like a brother. A big taller brother." Riley said as they chuckled. "And to Kate, you are beautiful, smart, sweet, and lovable woman. You're also tough as nails. You have to be to deal with Garrett." He said as they laughed again. "I love you both and wish you the best in your marriage. Cheers." Riley said as everyone clapped. Riley shook Garrett's hand and kissed Kate's cheek.

"Hi everyone, I'm Gail Parker, mother of the groom. I'm so happy and proud of my son Garrett. He's my youngest. You know growing up, Garrett always seemed so full of life and laughter. He always seem to light up a room no matter where he went. He was always running around messing with his sisters. I can't tell you how many times I heard _'Mom, Garrett's bothering me'_ or _'mom Garrett's touching my stuff.'_" Gail said as everyone laughed. "It use to annoy me. He wasn't the only one. Gage would help him. In fact Gage would put him up to it. Watching him grow into the man he is today has brought Greg and I such joy. We have five wonderful children and I am proud of them all. Then I learned my son had put his life on the line to save a girl. My first thought was that I was scared that he wouldn't make it and then angry at him for putting himself on the line like that. It wasn't til I met Kate that I realized why he risked his life for her. It was because he truly loves her. I see that. I've come to love Kate and I'm so happy that she's my new daughter in law. I absolutely love her family as well. We've become one big family. A toast to my son and his new bride. My you two cherish each other, respect each other and love each other forever. Cheers." Gail said as she gave a beautiful toast. Everyone cheered. Gail kissed Garrett on the cheek and did the same for Kate as well.

"Hi, I'm Gina Parker, Garrett's older sister. I love my brother very much and I'm so glad he found love with Kate. My mom Gail touched upon us growing up and let me tell you Garrett was little hell raiser." She said as they all laughed. "He did some pretty mean things. He use to take my stuffed animals and throw them around like action figures. He use to wrestle with them. He would take Ginger's Barbi dolls and wash her hair in the toilet." Gina said as everyone laughed harder. Garrett and Kate couldn't stop laughing. "He took Grace's underwear, put them over his head and wore it around the house pretending to be some sort of superhero called underwear boy. My brother Gage was a part of it also well. They both were responsible for the itching powder incident. He even put itching powder in our bras. But we got him back. Yeah, my sisters and I got them back. We put chocolate in their pants and made them go to school with it." Gina said as everyone laughed. "Needless to say, everyone thought they had diarrhea. Anyway, outside of the pranks we had some great times as a family. Garrett is a great brother and a good guy. I love you bro." She said as Garrett mouth the words I love you back. "Kate, I'm glad you're my sister in law because I know how much Garrett loves you and my family and I have come to love you as well. Congratulations guys and god bless." She said as everyone clapped for her. She kissed Garrett and Kate on their cheeks heading back to her seat.

"Yeah sis, I love you to." Gage said going up on stage. "Hi everyone, I'm Gage Parker. Garrett's older brother. That whole itching powder thing, yeah that was fun. Not so fun when my sisters made Garrett and I go to school with chocolate in our pants." Gage said as they laughed. "Garrett and I are the last two children born. I've always looked out for the little bugger. We use to play fight and wrestle. For a while I had the advantage. That is until he grew taller and stronger and took martial arts. Then I realized I couldn't fight him or he'd kick my ass." Gage said as everyone laughed. "When it came to the ladies, he was quite shy but held his own. His goofy demeanor made girls like him. Then I thought, well hell if he could do that then so can I. Needless to say it didn't work." Gage said as everyone laughed. "Gar I don't know what you said to land a beautiful woman like Kate but I need tips." He said as they chuckled. "Kate, I wanna thank you for coming into my brother's life and make it complete. I love you both and wish you two the best. Cheers." Gage said as everyone followed suit and clapped for Gage who kissed Kate on the cheek and high fived his brother.

"Hi. I'm Sasha Denali, Kate's mother." Sasha said. "Like Gail, my husband Joe and I have four wonderful children. Our oldest son Eleazer and our three girls Tanya, Kate and Irina. Listening to the funny stories from the Parker family made me feel good. I realize I wasn't the only mother who heard the cries of her children messing with each other. My son Eli poor thing had three sisters who terrorized him. They also had him wrapped around their fingers to. How odd." Sasha said as they chuckled. I remember hearing them say _'Eli do this and Eli do that'_. Sure enough he'd do it. Whenever they'd terrorize him, Kate was the ring leader." They all laughed. Sasha smiled laughing herself. "I can recall an incident where Tanya, Irina and Eli had all done something wrong and told Kate about it. She blackmailed them and soon they couldn't take it anymore. The three of them came to Joe and me and told us everything. They even told us that Kate had blackmailed them into doing things for her. We looked at them and said Kate didn't tell us anything. She kept it quite and didn't say anything. Eli, Tanya and Irina blabbed on themselves." Sasha said as they laughed. Kate and Garrett laughed to. "Kate is smart like that. She didn't need to pull pranks on her sibling although the itching powder thing is hilarious." She said as the guest continued laughing. "Anyway, I just wanna say that I'm glad Garrett is my son in law and I know you love my daughter. It shows. You two are so cute together. I love you both and wish you the best in your marriage. Cheers." Sasha said as everyone again clapped. She hugged her daughter and kissed her new son in law on the cheek.

"Hi I'm Joe Denali, Kate's father. Uh I've always been protective of my daughters. What father isn't? When I first met Garrett, like any father I thought he wasn't good for my daughter but he soon changed my mind when he went after the man who hurt her. He put his life on the line to save Kate and the only thing I could think of was to come and shake his hand and thank him for saving her. And at that point I thought the only reason he saved her was because he truly loves her. Any man that can risk his life to save my daughters because he loves them is alright with me. I know Garrett will make a great husband because he's a great guy and a will make a great father. Don't make me a grandfather too fast. I still have my youth." Joe said as everyone laughed. "Cheers to my new son in law and my daughter."

"Cheers." Everyone said holding up their glasses.

"Hey everyone, Eleazer or Eli as my sisters so affectionately call me. My little sister Katie-bear, you are beautiful, smart and very cunning." He said to a few chuckles. Oh how I remember how you use to terrorize me. I wasn't your only target was I?" He asked smiling. Kate smirked playfully. So did Tanya and Irina. Sasha and Joe knew all too well what Eleazar was talking about. "She harassing Tanya and Irina. She would trick Irina into doing her dirty work and would blackmail Tanya. It was funny. I felt for them and it was great because she wasn't doing it to me." Eleazar said as everyone laughed. "Like my father I to will protect my sisters and I know Garrett will be a wonderful husband. I love you both and wish you two the best in your marriage. Cheers." He said as everyone raised their glasses once more to cheer the newlyweds. Garrett stood up and made his way onto the stage.

"It's my turn to talk. I suspect my bride is at a loss for words." Garrett said as the others laughed. He smiled. "I gotta say, I never thought that I'd ever find a woman like Kate. The instant I saw her I knew she'd be mines forever. All I had to do was make the right impression. The more time I spent with Kate, the harder I fell for her. Kate was hesitant at first and I didn't understand it but wasn't until I learned about her ex and then I vowed to protect the woman I loved. Kate babe, I love you. You made me the happiest man alive the moment you walked into my life. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Garrett said as everyone cheered for him. Kate mouthed the words I love you to. "I wanna thank everyone for coming out today. Kate and I are glad to have two awesome families, great friends and honored guest. Thank you so very much. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all. Baby, it's time for us to dance." He said as everyone clapped. Garrett stepped onto the dance floor and held out his hand for his bride. Kate stood up from the table and took her hand in his. He pulls her close to him as the band begins to play a slow song. Both look into each other's eyes as they swayed back and forth to the music. Everyone watched them. Garrett leans into Kate and the two share a passionate kiss. Sasha pulls her husband Joe onto the dance floor. They're followed by Eleazar and Carmen, Tanya and Riley, Laurent and Irina, Emmett and Rosalie, Bella and Edward, Alice and Jasper, Martha and Ray, Gail and Gregory, Mark and Gina, BJ and Ginger. Gage asked his sister if she could dance with him. She nods and they go onto the dance floor.

The photographer took pictures of everything and everyone at the wedding. There's a group photos of Garrett with his family, there's one of Kate with her family including her cousins, aunt and uncle. There's pictures taken of the Kate her bride's maids. There's a photo of Garrett with his groom's men. There's pictures of the actual wedding its self. There is a photo of the bride and the groom smiling happily. There's pictures of the in laws together. There's tons more pictures taken at the wedding.

Once the reception was over, Kate and Garrett said good bye to their family and friends as they were whisked away to their hotel room on the top floor. They were given the honeymoon suite. Their luggage was brought up to the suite. The presents were put into a huge box that would be shipped to the newlywed's home in Seattle when Kate and Garrett come off their honeymoon. They got to the room.

"Looks like we get the top room." Kate said to him.

"Yes we do." Garrett said then bending down and lifting up his bride into his arms. Kate yelped excitedly as Garrett carried her across the threshold then set her down.

"Wow look at this room." Kate said looking around. Their luggage was already in the room awaiting them. Both looked around the lavish penthouse hotel room. There is living room setting with a 40 inch flat screen TV sitting on top of table. Across from the TV is a couch with two tables on both sides with two lavish looking lamps on them. There's a single chair that sits in front of the terrace overlooking the ocean. Next to the chair is a round table with two more chairs and a lamp on it. The chairs were decorated for the lovely occasion. The table has flowers on it and there's a bowl of fruits, cheese and champagne. Kate and Garrett can see the bedroom from where they are standing. Both go into the bedroom and can see the door to the terrace that connects to the living room. There is a king size bed with two nightstands next to it with lamps on them. There's a TV in there as well. The bathroom is five feet from the nightstand. "This suit is beautiful." Kate said she headed for the terrace in the bedroom. Garrett made certain to lock the door so they wouldn't be disturbed. She goes to the terrace and opens the glass door letting the nice cool breeze hit her face. Kate smiled still standing in her wedding dress as she overlooks the Hawaii island and it's beautiful ocean. She couldn't have imagined how well her life would turn out. She's alive, standing in a hotel suit in Maui overlooking the ocean after getting married to her love. Her life was complete. For a while her world looked bleak like she'd never live again. She was almost killed. If hadn't been for her boyfriend turned husband saving her life, Kate wouldn't be here today. She smiled as her husband come up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist. Kate leaned into him as he leans over and kisses the nap of her neck. "This really is beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as my wife." Garrett said lovingly as she turns into him smiling. The two begin to kiss passionately. "I think it's time to consummate our love." He said as he takes into the bedroom. Both begin kissing again. Kate pulls off his glazer, then his tie. He kicks off his shoes and removes his dress shirt. Garrett unzips her dress letting it fall to the floor. Kate stands before him in only her white bra and bikini panties. Garrett has never been more aroused in his life. His prick is so hard. Garrett begins to undo the claps of her bra removing the garment completely. Kate's nipples are erect. Kate moans as he takes her right tit in his mouth while he works the left one in his hands. Kate begins massaging his harden prick causing more arousal on his part. Garrett moves from her right tit to her left. Garrett returns to kissing her lips. "I love Kate."

"I love you to Garrett." Kate said as he removes her panties and she removes his pants including his boxers. Both climb into the bed and under the sheets. Kate separates her legs allowing Garrett access. He places himself at the base of her cunt. The two continue kissing as he enters her slowly. Kate moans taking him into her. Both proceed to make love for most of the night.


	25. Introducing Gavin and Keith Parker

True Love

Chapter Twenty-Five

Introducing Gavin and Keith Parker

Two More Years Later

After marrying the man of her dreams, Kate has been pretty busy. She and Garrett have been working really hard. Garrett along with his brother, and friends have been running a successful company. Kate has also been working hard at the Ad agency. She and Garrett moved into a two story home in Seattle. They weren't the only ones to build their lives. Laurent and Irina are still together. Both moved into a condo in the city. Laurent works at a prestige law firm while Irina works for a fashion company. Riley and Tanya moved into a nice two bedroom apartment. Both are flourishing in their careers. Riley continues to work with Garrett while Tanya is doctor, a pediatric doctor to be exact. She works at Seattle general with Edward who became a surgeon. Like her sister, Tanya also walked down the aisle with Riley. Edward and Bella also got married four months after Tanya and Riley did. Rosalie works at the same firm as Laurent does. In fact they both are prosecutors sometimes working the same cases. Emmett and Rosalie got married two months after Bella and Edward did. Jasper and Alice eloped but then had a small wedding for family and close friends. Irina was the only one who wasn't married. Emmett and the Seattle Seahawks got to the super bowl but didn't win. Kate told Garrett that she was pregnant. Both were happy. They also told their families the good news. Everyone was happy.

It's a Friday evening at the Parker house hold. Kate now nine months pregnant is sitting in the living room of the house she shares with Garrett. She looked all of her nine months. She and Garrett are expecting twins. Kate is on maternity leave. She is watching TV waiting on Garrett who's expected home in about twenty minutes. She couldn't believe she was about be a mother. She smiled remembering when she found out she was having twins. Garrett had fainted in the doctor's office. Once he was conscious, he called Gage, Riley, Laurent, Edward, Emmett and Jasper to help him set up the nursery for the twins. Kate, Tanya, Irina, Alice, Bella and Rosalie sat back and watched the guys put the cribs together and were laughing because neither of them knew what they were doing. The girls found it hilarious. It was Bella, Rosalie, Alice and Tanya who put it together while Irina read the directions. Kate made sure to get a lot of rest. The nursery is complete and waiting for the twins. The guys have a bet going that Kate would have two girls. While the girls seem to think that Kate will have boys. Kate and Garrett's parents think she'll have one of each. Needless to stay, the girls won the bet. Kate smiled remembering that evening at the baby shower.

_The Baby Shower_

_The girls had decided to throw Kate a baby shower. Kate is sitting in her sofa chair surrounded by Tanya, Irina, Alice, Rosalie, Bella, Gina, Ginger and Grace. Now that everyone knew both babies are going to be boys, they brought several toys and stuff for the babies. There are several presents sitting in the middle of the living room floor. Everyone had brought presents for the babies realizing Kate was going to need lots of stuff. Tanya and Riley had brought Kate several baby boy outfits to fit the boys. Emmett and Rosalie brought the boys clothes as well. Emmett got them baby jerseys from the Seattle Seahawks with two little stuffed footballs. He told Kate he was converting his little cousins into football fans. Bella had brought the babies a couple of pairs of baby sneakers. Edward brought two boxes filled with diapers. The girls laughed realizing Kate and Garrett would be changing several diapers a day. Laurent and Irina loaded up on bibs for the boys. Gina and Mark had brought her bottles for the babies. Gage brought Kate toys for the babies and Eleazer and Carmen brought a double changing table for the two little unborn tots. BJ and Ginger brought Kate car seats for when they had to take the babies out. Gail and Gregory sent a nice double stroller to Garrett and Kate. Sasha and Joe brought the furniture in the nursery including the crib mobile. Garrett also brought items for his unborn baby boys. He brought a bassinet, safety mirror, bouncer seat, portable cribs, a double baby swing set, a safety gate, baby monitors and a whole lot of parenting books for himself and Kate to read while attending to their children. _

_Kate's co-workers gave her several items for the babies. They gave her booties for the babies, they gave her little baseball caps to cover their little heads. Another co-worker gave her baby care products such as brushes, combs, nail clippers, thermometer, and medicine dispensers, a first aid kit, humidifier, wash cloths, bath toys, bath sponges, gentle shampoo/soaps, baby lotion, hoodie towels, baby books, cd's with lullabies, rattles, plush toys, crib monitor and infant spoons. She was also given a nursing bra for when it was feeding time. Kate thanked her co-workers for the great gifts knowing that she'd need them. _

_While the girls had the baby shower, the men took Garret out for celebratory beers. Gregory, Joe, Eleazer, BJ and Mark gave him pointers on becoming a parent and what to expect when Kate goes into labor. They told him she'd call him every name in the book but not to worry because she's in pain and she doesn't mean the words that will leave her mouth. Garrett didn't know whether to be scared or what. Laurent, Riley, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper watched laughing but also knew that they'd have to face this reality when their girls became pregnant. For now they'd be happy for their friend._

End of Flashback

Kate chuckled remembering the night her family gave her a baby shower. She also remembered her co-workers doing the same thing. She had been up earlier looking at the completely finished nursery. Everything was in place waiting on its new occupants. She made her way to the living and sits down on the couch. She struggles with the big belly and all but is able successfully sit down. She turned on the TV waiting on her hubby. She heard the door opening and in steps Garrett.

"Honey I'm home." Garrett said coming into the house and closing the door.

"Hey babe." Kate said from the living room. Garrett comes into the living room, places his suit case on the recliner before going over to kiss his pregnant wife's lips. "How was work?"

"Work was busy as usual. How was your day?" He asked her.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. These two are kicking my bladder around like a soccer ball. Other than that I'm peachy." She said smiling. Garrett smirked.

"Now we know what sport to get them into when their older." Garrett joked. Kate smiled as they kissed again.

"You hungry? I can make something for you to eat." Kate asked as she tried to stand up.

"No, I can order out." Garrett said. "Doc said you should stay off your feet."

"I'm fine. I can whip up something real…." Kate stopped mid-sentence groaning.

"What? What happened?" Garrett asked.

"My water just broke. I think I'm in labor." Kate said holding her belly.

"HOLY SHIT!" Garrett said as he quickly went for to the linen closet and grabbed Kate's emergency back. He then went for his blazer. "Come on baby." He said escorting her out of the house then shutting the door locking it. He held door to the passenger side of his car open so Kate could climb in. Once she was inside the car, Garrett closed the door and then ran around to the driver side of the car. He put her emergency back seat. Both applied their seatbelts before he started the car and drove off. Kate begins having a contraction while Garrett drove. "Breathe honey. Remember what you learned in lamaz class."

"Ok." Kate says as she begins to breathe in and out. "OH HELL! Kate yelled as another contraction hits her hard.

"Breathe baby breathe." Garrett said while driving. He's on the highway doing about 55 miles per hour trying to get to the hospital. Kate does what she is told. She continues to breathe. His car finally reaches the hospital. Garrett rushes to the passenger side of his car. He helps Kate out of the passenger side of the car. "HELP!" He calls out to the two nurses standing outside. They see Kate's condition and immediately react. The nurses get a wheelchair for Kate who's face contorts in pain. Another contraction had just hit her. She was placed into the wheel chair as they roll her into the emergency room of Seattle General. Kate was taken up the elevator into the maternity word.

"What's the patient's name?" The nurse asked.

"Katrina Denali-Parker." Garrett responds. "She's my wife."

"I understand Mr. Parker. Your wife's in good hands here. We'll take care of her."

"Ok. Um nurse, is my sister in law working tonight?" Garrett asked referring to Tanya.

"Whose your sister in law?" She asked.

"Her name is Tanya Denali-Biers." Garrett asked.

"Oh Mrs. Biers is off tonight." The nurse responds letting Garrett know.

"Ok thanks." He said to her.

"Just fill out the registry for Kate while we tend to her." The nurse said.

"Ok." Garrett said as he quickly filled out form. he knew what information to provide having know Kate give years now. He got on his cell and called his brother.

"Little brother what's going on?" Gage said answering his phone.

"Gage, Kate and I are the hospital." Garrett told him.

"Why what happened?" Gage asked shocked.

"She went into labor." Garrett said to him.

"Shit I'm on my way bro." Gage said hanging up his phone. He was in the process of leaving his office when Garrett called him. Gage hung up with Garrett and called their sisters and parents letting them know that Kate has gone into labor.

"Tanya." Garrett said on the phone with his sister in law. "Thank god you picked up."

"Garrett what's the matter?" Tanya asked. She was home had just picked up some groceries. She was going to cook dinner for her and Riley when Garrett called her. Riley was standing in the kitchen with her.

"It's Kate." Garrett said.

"What's wrong?" Tanya asked.

"She's in labor. I need you here Tanya. I don't know what to do." Garrett said to her.

"Ok. First off calm down. She'll be fine. I'm on my way. Where are you guys now?"

"I brought to the hospital. Seattle General." Garrett said.

"Good. Riley is with me. We're on our way." She said hanging up her phone.

"Kate's in labor?" Riley asked her.

"Yes." Tanya said calling Irina.

"Hello." Irina said answering her phone.

Rina it's me. Kate is in labor. Garrett took her to Seattle General. Riley and I are on our way." Tanya said in one breathe.

"Ok. We're coming." Irina said hanging up her phone.

"Hey babe." Laurent said kissing her lips.

"Hey listen, I'm heading to the hospital." Irina said putting on her sweater.

"Why you ok?" Laurent asked worried.

"I'm fine it's Kate she's in labor." Irina said.

"Ok. I'm coming with you." Laurent said grabbing his blazer as they left the house.

Tanya had called Eleazer and their parents letting them know that Kate is in labor. Laurent called Rosalie letting her know Kate had gone into labor and he's on his way to the hospital. Irina called Alice letting her know Kate was in labor. Alice contacted Emmett who was on his way home from doing interviews and she called Edward who let him know that Kate is in labor. Edward had gone to the airport to pick up Bella. Bella had come back home from filming a movie in Ohio. All are on their way to the hospital. Gregory and Gail along with Gina, Mark, Grace, Ginger and BJ caught the first plane to Seattle. Luckily for them it's a short trip. Sasha, Joe, Eleazer and Carmen caught the first plane to Seattle. It'll take them a little longer to get there.

The nurse came out into the waiting area to see Garrett sitting there. He had filled out the form already and called their families. He was worried sick for his pregnant wife. He loved her so much and their babies. He couldn't wait to meet his boys. The nurse went over to him.

"Excuse me Mr. Parker." The nurse called to him.

"Yes." Garrett said running his hand through his hair.

"You can see her now." The nurse said as she then escorted Garrett to Kate's room. Kate lying on her bed hospital bed. She looked like she was in pain.

"Nurse is she ok?" Garrett asked.

"She's fine. She's had a couple of contractions but she'll be fine." The nurse said.

"Thank you." Garrett said making his way over to his wife. "Hey beautiful."

"I don't feel beautiful." Kate said. Her hair is out of place and she looks tired but still looks like herself.

"You are beautiful." Garrett said sitting on the bed next to her. He took her hand in his. "I called your sister and my brother telling the news. They are without a doubt passing on the message of your labor." He said.

"Good. I want my mom in the room when I give birth." Kate said. A female doctor walks into the room.

"Good evening Mrs. Parker." Came the voice of Dr. Peterson. She's Kate's obstetrician. She's been watching over Kate's pregnancy since she became pregnant. "How are we feeling?"

"Fat and bloated." Kate said as Dr. Peterson smiled. "Doc, when can I push these little suckers out of me?" Kate asked as Garrett and Dr. Peterson smiled.

"Let's see how far you're dilated." Dr. Peterson said going over to Kate. Garrett helped turn Kate over on her back. Dr. Peterson lifted the blue sheet around Kate's thighs to see how far she's dilated. "Ok so far two centimeters. You got eight more to go." Kate sighed. "Mrs. Parker, you'll be fine. Relax, take deep breathes when you feel another contraction ok. I'll be back to check on you in a few hours." She said.

"Thanks doc." Kate said.

Tanya, Riley, Irina, Laurent, Emmett, Rosalie Jasper and Alice all arrived at the hospital. Gage was right behind them. Tanya got everyone guess passes then they headed up to the prenatal unit.

"Tanya what are you doing here?" A Nurse asked. The nurse works with Tanya in the pediatric care unit and could have sworn that Tanya had the night off.

"Hey Carol. My sister was brought in." Tanya told her.

"Kate, yeah she's in room 330." Carol the nurse told her.

"Thanks. Who's her OB?" Tanya asked.

"Dr. Peterson." Carol responds.

"Great thanks." Tanya said as she headed to room 330 followed by Riley, Gage, Irina, Laurent, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice. Tanya opens the door to Kate's room and enters with the others in tow. "Hey prego." Tanya said as Garrett turned to her smiling.

"Hey." Kate said.

"My god you've grown." Emmett joked as the others laughed.

"Don't make me throw this cup at you." Kate said teasingly as she picked up the cup.

"How you feeling cuz?" Alice asked.

"Bloated thanks for asking." Kate responds as they chuckle.

"How far have you dilated?" Rosalie asked.

"So far two inches but I can't wait to push these two out of me. It feels like they're playing soccer." Kate said as they chuckled.

"Don't worry. It won't be too long before they're out of you." Riley said.

"Yeah crying, pooping, eating you two out of a house and home, drinking up all the milk. Did I mention there be a lot of crying?" Laurent asked as they laughed.

"Is mom and dad coming?" Kate said.

"Yes. I called them and their on their way along with Eleazer and Carmen." Tanya said as she sits on the bed next to her sister. Irina sat on the other side of Kate and begins to massage her lower back. Kate leaned on Tanya's shoulders loving the fact that her sisters had her back in a manner of speaking. Rosalie and Alice fluffed her pillows and rubbed Kate's feet to make her more comfortable. Kate smiled at them silently thanking them as she was in heaven. The door opened and in stepped Edward and Bella. "Hey you two." Tanya said to them.

"Hey." Edward said. "Kate how you feeling?" He asked her.

"Bloated." Kate joked.

"I see Rose and Alice are making you comfortable?" Bella asked as smiling as Rose smirked and Alice gave her a playful glare.

"Comfy." Kate said as smiling. "Where did you come from?"

"Edward was picking me up from the airport when he got the call." Bella said.

"You finished shooting the movie?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes. Thank god." Bella told them.

"There was a lot of press out there. Luckily we were able to dodge them." Edward said.

Kate noticed that everyone was yawning. It was pretty late. She had gone into labor a little after 8pm. It was after nine now. She realized they were tired but they didn't care. This is her family and friends who'd stick by her side. Tanya had gone to the nurses and told them that she and her family will stay in Kate's room for the night. Her co-workers got blankets for everyone to use.

The two planes land at the Seattle airport. The first to arrive were the Parkers. Their plane landed at 10:30pm. They had ordered a limo to be there to pick them up. In the limo are Gregory, Gail, Gina, Mark, Grace, Ginger, and BJ. The limo took them to Seattle General. The second plane to land was from Alaska. That plane landed at 12:30am. The Denali family got off the plane and got a cab to Seattle general.

The Limo arrived at the hospital where the Parker family got out of the car and ran into the emergency room. Gregory told the limo driver to park and wait for them. The limo driver did as he was instructed. The nurse told them to wait in the waiting area. Twenty minutes later, a town car pulled up to the hospital. The Denali family stepped out of the car. Like the Parker family, they made their way into the emergency room and was led to the waiting area. By this time it was 1:14am.

Dr. Peterson had spoken with both families telling them that visiting hours were from 8am to 8pm and that they'd have to wait until 8am to visit with Kate. Gregory said that they should just camp out in the waiting area until 8am. Joe agreed.

In Kate's room, everyone is camped out on the couches and chairs in the room. Gage had fallen asleep in one of the chairs in the room. Edward fell asleep with Bella in his lap. Rosalie fell asleep in Emmett's arms in another of the chairs. Next to them are Irina and Laurent. Tanya and Riley are next to them on the same couch. Jasper has Alice in his lap on the other chair in the room. Garrett is on Kate's bed holding her. She had two more contractions and is now dilated four centimeters with six more centimeters to go. He let Kate lay on him while she slept. Garrett closed his eyes to rest. Four hours later, 5:14am to be exact Kate had another contraction. This was one was intense. Her doctor told her that the closer she got to delivery, the more intense the contractions would be. So far, she's five centimeters dilated and counting. Her contractions are getting stronger.

Sasha couldn't sleep and decided to call Garrett. She was worried about her daughter. She knows what it feels like to give birth after all she had four children. Kate is about to give birth to twins. She dialed Garrett's number hoping he picked up.

"Hello." Garrett said answering his cell. He had it on vibrate so if it rang, he wasn't disturbing anyone.

"Hey Garrett is Kate ok?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah she's fine. Where are you guys?" He asked.

"We're in the waiting area. Dr. Peterson won't allow us back to see her until 8am." Sasha said.

"That's in another couple of hours." Garrett said.

"Is she awake?" Sasha asked.

"No she dozed back off. Want me to wake her?" Garrett asked.

"No let her sleep. The contractions will wake her up." Sasha joked.

"Ok." Garrett said as they both hung up their phones.

8am couldn't have come fast enough for both the Parker's and Denali clans. Both families gathered their things and headed for Kate's room. Gage is standing outside in the hall way making a call when he sees his family and the in laws coming up the corridor.

"Hey ma, hey pop." He said hugging them. "Mr. and Mrs. Denali, how are you guys?" He asked shaking their hands.

"We're good. How's my baby?" Joe asked.

"She's ok." Gage said. Joe and Sasha, along with Eleazer and Carmen went into Kate's room to check up on her.

"Hey, is she ok?" Gail asked.

"She's fine with the exception of a few contractions. The doctor said she's about six centimeters dilated. It's only a matter of time before she's ready to deliver." Gage said.

"Since when are you an expert in babies?" Ginger asked as they chuckled.

"I've been doing my research." Gage said as help his blackberry phone.

"Hey sweetheart." Sasha said to Kate coming into her room.

"Hey ma." Kate said and just as she said that she's hit with another contraction. Kate grimaces as the pain hits her harder. Sasha holds her hand while Tanya holds the other hand. Tanya felt for her sister but understanding that this is a woman's curse to bare the children. The pain had subsided. Kate sighed deeply. Her face covered in sweat beads. "Sorry about that." Kate said.

"Don't be sorry honey. It's the pain of child birth." Sasha told her.

"I'm heading out to get something to eat. Sis you want anything?" Irina asked.

"No I'm ok." Kate said.

"Tanya, you want anything?" Irina asked.

"Coffee please." Tanya told her.

"Me to." Garrett said.

"Ok." Irina said as she, Alice, Bella and Rosalie decided to head out for breakfast. Kate is seven centimeters dilated.

"Riley, come with me downstairs." Edward said. He secretly wanted to get some stuff for the babies.

"Ok." Riley said as Laurent, Emmett and Jasper followed. The four wanted to give Kate, Tanya, Sasha, Eleazer and Carmen a moment.

"Honey, can you see if the doctor will give me another pillow?" Kate asked.

"Sure love." Garrett said as he left the room. His family is out in the hallway. "Hey ma, hey pop."

"Hey honey, how's she doing?" Gail asked.

"She's hanging in there. Almost time." Garrett said.

"How far along is she?" Gina asked having had a child of her own.

"I'm not sure the last time the doctor checked it was two centimeters. She's since had five more each stronger than the one before." Garrett explained.

"That means she's about seven centimeters dilated." Grace said. "She's almost ready."

"I'll bet you can't wait?" Mark asked Garrett.

"Nope. I swear I'm a ball of nerves right now. I don't want to do or say the wrong thing." Garrett said.

"You won't man. Don't worry. Every father gets nervous." BJ told him.

"That's true." Gregory said. "I can't tell you how many times your mother cussed me out during the child birth. By the time you were born I was use to it." He said earning a laugh from the others. Gail had gotten a pillow from an empty bed sitting out on the hall. She told Garrett to give that to Kate. He nods then heads back into the room.

"Here you go babe." Garrett said handing the pillow to Carmen who assisted Tanya in helping Kate to feel a bit more comfortable.

"How are you feeling?" Carmen asked.

"I want these babies out of me now." Kate said as smirked.

"I know the feeling. Trust me." Carmen said to her.

"My family is outside. They wanna come in a say hi." Garrett said to her.

"Ok." Kate said. Gail, Gina, Ginger and Grace stepped into the room followed by Gregory, BJ and Mark. "Hey guys." Kate said smiling.

"Hello my darling." Gail said going over to give Kate a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Ginger asked.

"Pregnant and about ready to burst." Kate as they chuckled.

"Don't worry those babies will be out of you before you know it." Mark said to her.

"God I hope so." Kate said as they chuckled.

"You're almost ready." Sasha told her.

"Yep." Kate said. "Dr. Peterson said it might take a few more hours before I'm dilated the last few centimeters."

"Well unfortunately you'll have to wait it out." Tanya said.

"Thanks for the reminder." Kate said sarcastically.

"You welcome." Tanya said teasingly. Kate stuck out her tongue teasingly. Tanya chuckled.

Irina, Bella, Rosalie and Alice had gone to the deli down the street from the hospital and picked up some food. Kate couldn't eat anything while in labor. She got Garrett and Tanya each a cup of coffee while getting Riley, Laurent, Emmett, Edward and Jasper their favorite breakfast platters. The guys are in the big gift shop picking out a few things for the babies. Emmett had the worker blow up five balloons saying it's a boy. Edward brought little stuffed animals for the babies. Jasper brought two little baby baseball caps for the boys. Laurent brought a card with a little heart felt poem about the babies. Riley brought some flowers for Kate. He didn't know if she liked lilies or roses but decided to get her some roses. The guys then headed back upstairs. The girls came back into the hospital with the food. They made sure to eat in the waiting area because they didn't want to disturb Kate. Meanwhile, Kate dilated once more and is now two centimeters from giving birth. After eating breakfast, the guys decided to surprise Kate with their gifts.

"Hey Kate look what we got you." Riley said as held out flowers. Kate smiles.

"Thank you Rye." She said as he kissed her forehead. Sasha smiles and puts the flowers in a cup with water.

"I got these for the babies." Edward said holding two stuffed animals. Kate chuckles.

"They are going to love these." Kate said taking the stuffed animals. "Thank you Eddie."

"Nothing's too good for my little cousins." Edward said smiling.

"I got these." Emmett said holding up the balloons. Kate continued to smile. Garrett tied the Balloons to her bed.

"I got them two little baseball caps. Despite Em here playing for the Seahawks, your boys are going to be Mariner fans." Jasper said as they laughed. Emmett playfully shoves him. Kate and Garrett smile touched by the gifts.

"Thank you." Kate said then grimaces again. She groans as another contraction hits. Garrett immediately comes to her side holding her hands. The guys watched helplessly wondering if she was ok. Kate continued to grimace though causing more concern. Kate begins to groan in pain. Something was causing her more pain then a woman would normally experience.

"Kate, honey what's wrong?" Sasha asked. She realized that her daughter is in tremendous pain. Even she wasn't in this much pain having given birth to four children.

"It hurts so bad." Kate said groaning louder. Tanya and Garrett held onto her.

"Shit, get Doctor Peterson." Garrett said as he, Sasha and Tanya held Kate who is holding her belly grimacing in pain. Riley ran down the hall to ask the nurse to page Dr. Peterson. Dr. Peterson had finished up with another patient when she got the page. She came running to Kate's room.

"What's wrong?" Dr. Peterson asked.

"My daughter's in pain. She's not fully dilated yet." Sasha said. By now Kate was in tears. The pain was so unbearable.

"Let me take a look." Dr. Peterson said as Tanya, Sasha and Garrett held Kate up who was grimacing. Dr. Peterson could see that Kate was only dilated nine centimeters. She then felt around on her stomach and touched upon the area which was causing Kate pain. She realized the umbilical cord was wrapped around both babies' necks. "Ok we have to perform an emergency cesarean." Dr. Peterson said. "Who's going to be in the room with her?"

"I am." Sasha said.

"Me to." Garrett said.

"Ok. I'll stay back in the waiting area." Tanya said. Dr. Peterson had page two nurses to assist her. Kate was wheeled into the delivery room on the same floor where the cesarean is to be performed.

Tanya went into the waiting area. Laurent and the others watched her wondering what was going on. Tanya looked flustered and worried all at the same time. She knew that women had the burden of child birth but didn't realize that sometimes things can go wrong in the process. This was one of those instances. Irina saw the look of concern on her sister's face and wanted to know what was going on.

"What's going on?" Irina asked.

"Is Kate ok?" Alice asked. Tanya scanned the faces in the waiting area. Everyone wanted to know if Kate was ok.

"Kate was in the middle of another contraction when she began crying pain. She said the pain hurt so bad." Tanya told them.

"Well the pain becomes more intense with each contraction. They become stronger as she nears delivery." Carmen said. Gina and Gail agreed with her.

"Yes but Kate was in more pain." Tanya said. She didn't really know how to explain it as she has never had children.

"What did Dr. Peterson say?" Riley asked.

"The umbilical cord was wrapped around both babies' necks and therefore a cesarean is needed. Dr. Peterson took Kate to the delivery room to perform the cesarean. Mom and Garrett are with her." Tanya said to them. everyone had looks of concern on their faces.

"But she's going to be ok?" Edward asked. Tanya shrugs.

"She'll be ok." Carmen said.

"What is a cesarean anyway?" Emmett asked. Like most men, he didn't know what that was. Most expectant fathers spend a lot of time in the waiting area. There are a select few that are in the emergency room with the moms to be. Garrett is one of those fathers who prefers to be with the mother of his children.

"A cesarean is when the doctor has to cut the baby out of the mother's stomach." Laurent said. They turned to him wondering how he knew that. "I'm right aren't I?" He asked.

"More or less." Carmen answered. "A small incision is made above the uterus and the doctor reaches in and carefully pulls the baby out. Kate will feel some pressure and intense pain because she's delivering two not one baby. Once the babies are out and the placenta is out of her, the doctor will sew Kate up. She'll be ok." She said to them explaining fully what happens during a cesarean.

"We just have to wait." Eleazer said. Riley wrapped his arms around Tanya's waist. Everyone was worried for Kate and the babies but Carmen explained how a cesarean or the more commonly use phrase C-section works put their minds at ease.

Garrett and Sasha are holding Kate's hand as Dr. Peterson along with a team of doctors behind her performed the cesarean on Kate. Kate had been given anesthesia to help her relax during the procedure. Kate closed her eyes feeling the pressure when Dr. Peterson reaches in and gently pulls baby boy one out. Kate feels even more pressure as baby boy two is pulled out. The umbilical cord was removed from both babies' necks. The nurses made sure to both babies were tended to and sooo enough both baby boys cried out while two teams of nurses cleaned them up. Dr. Peterson then pulled out the placenta from Kate's abdomen and then sewed her back up with about forty stitches. Garrett and Sasha smiled as the two baby boys were brought over to see mom and dad. Kate smiled looking at her two little newborn boys.

"My little guys." Garrett said holding one.

"They're so handsome." Kate said as the second baby is placed in her arms. Sasha smiles. "Look mom. You're grandsons."

"Oh look at my grandbabies." Sasha cooed over the little tykes who looked at the three adults ogling them.

"Have you named them yet?" Dr. Peterson said. Garrett and Kate looked at each other.

"Boy one and boy two." Garrett chuckled. Kate smirks as everyone in the room chuckles. "How about I name the one I'm holding is Gavin Anthony Parker." Garrett said as Kate smiled.

"I like that." Kate said as the nurse wrote down the name on a name tag and placed it on the baby Garrett is holding. She put the name tag on his little baby hat. "I'll name the one I'm holding Keith Andrew Parker." Kate said as the same nurse wrote down the name on the name tag and placed it on his little baby hat.

"Welcome to the world Gavin and Keith Parker." Sasha said to them. Both baby boys yawned.

"Ok, Gavin and Keith need to be taken to the nursery so mom can recover." Dr. Peterson said. "Kate you'll be taken the recovery room. You'll be there for a few hours and then taken back to your room." Kate nods. Both baby Gavin and baby Keith were placed in the small hospital baby cribs and wheeled into the nursery room. Kate was wheeled into the recovery room. Sasha went with her. Garrett kissed Kate's forehead and decided to head to the waiting area. Alice sees him and is the first to say something.

"Well?" Alice asked. Everyone stood up waiting for him to speak. "Is Kate ok?"

"Are the babies ok?" Irina asked.

"Kate and our sons are doing just fine." Garrett said smiling.

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered.

"Congrats little brother." Gage said hugging him. Laurent, Riley, Edward, Emmett and Jasper all embraced him.

"Congrats son." Gregory said.

"Thanks dad." Garrett said smiling. He got hugs from Gail, Gina, Ginger, Grace, Carmen, Alice, Bella, Rosalie, Tanya and Irina. "Kate's in the recovery room if you wanna see her." He said to them knowing that they couldn't wait to see Kate. All of the women left the room.

"Welcome to fatherhood." Eleazer said.

"Yep. This is where it gets complicated." Joe said to him smirking.

"It's bad enough when you have one screaming child but you have two." Gregory said teasingly.

"I'm not worried about that. They're healthy and that's all that matters." Garrett said.

"True." Joe said. "At least Kate didn't curse you out." He said as they laughed.

"Yeah, you got off easy." Mark said as they laughed.

"I guess I'm lucky." Garrett said smiling.

"What did you name them?" Eleazer asked.

"Gavin and Keith Parker." Garrett said. All the guys smiled at the name.

"Congrats Kate." Gina said hugging Kate. Tanya and Irina hugged her.

"Thanks." Kate said. She yawned deeply.

"How do you feel honey?" Gail asked.

"Relieved." Kate said as they laughed. "I'm glad they're out of me so I can get my figure back." She said.

"You will. The boys will keep you and Garrett busy." Ginger said.

"And awake, don't forget awake." Gina told her jokingly the others laughed.

"When can we see them?" Grace asked.

"They were taken to the nursery." Sasha told her.

"What are their names?" Alice asked.

"Gavin and Keith Parker." Kate told them.

"Can we see them?" Bella asked.

"Sure." Sasha said. They headed out of the recovery room. Kate remained and needed to rest.

Garrett, Gail, Gregory, Ginger, Grace, Gage, Sasha, Joe, Eleazer, Carmen, Tanya, Irina, Laurent, Riley, Edward, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice all got a look at the babies. The girls cooed over the babies while the guys stared proudly welcoming the new editions to the family.

Kate got the rest she needed. Gail and Sasha got a chance to hold their grandsons. Gregory and Joe did the same. Tanya, Irina, Gina, Grace and Ginger got the chance to hold their nephews. Riley, Edward, Emmett and Jasper got to hold them. Alice and Jasper were named the god parents of the twins. Kate's co-workers came by to see her and the babies. The night before Kate was to be released with the boys, Garrett packed the two car seats in the back of his car. He also packed their pacifiers and bibs. The following morning Kate was then released from the hospital. She and Garrett put the babies in the car seats in the back of the car. Garrett held the door open letting Kate inside. She closed the door while Garrett got into the passenger driver's seat. He pulled off. Garrett's car pulled into the parking lot of their house. Both got out of the car and brought their newborn babies into the house. They then brought the babies into the nursery and put the sleeping tots in their cribs gently placing the blanket over them. Kate and Garrett stared down at their little ones and smiled.

"We've come a long way." Kate says to him. Garrett has his arm around her shoulders.

"Yes we have." He said to her.

"Could life be this perfect?" She asked.

"It is for me." He said as Kate looked up at him. "I met the perfect woman, married her, had two adorable little boys and I have great career. Yeah this is perfect." He said to her. She smiled.

"I agree with you. At first my life looked grim. I had an abusive ex who wanted me dead, met a nice, handsome sexy guy who loves me, married him we have two adorable little boys together and I to have a great career. Yeah, life is perfect." Kate said smiling. Garrett leans over kissed her lips.

Who says true love doesn't exist?

In the years to follow, Garrett and Kate's relationship continued to grow stronger. They are flourishing in their careers and their baby boys were getting bigger as well. They weren't the only ones to have children. Tanya and Riley had a daughter they named Rachel. Tanya gave birth to their son Thomas a year later. Irina and Laurent had a son they name Isrieal. Edward Bella had a son they named after Edward. Rosalie and Emmett had a set of twins who they named Ryan and Eric Cullen. Alice and Jasper also had a set of twins they named Alexander and Jason Hale. On The Parker side of the family, Gage had met a woman and the two began dating. His girlfriend was pregnant shortly after and they married two months after Gage's son Glenn was born. Ginger and BJ had their first child a son they named Bradley Jansen Spencer the third. He's named after his father. Grace had finally met a man. The two fell in love. Unfortunately for her, the guy cheated on her with another woman. Grace found out that she was pregnant and vowed to have her child. She is currently seven months pregnant. All is well with the Parker family and to think true love may not have happened if Garrett and Kate had never met.

The End


End file.
